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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764537">Spilled Ink and Rainbow Flames (Inktober 2020)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zsterwriter14/pseuds/Zsterwriter14'>Zsterwriter14</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Inktober prompts [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Katekyou Hitman Reborn!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Armor, Coral - Freeform, Dig - Freeform, Dune - Freeform, Fancy, Fish, Gen, Inktober 2020, Inspired by Among us, Music, Ominous, Outpost, RIP, Radio, Rodent, Shoes, Sleep, Slippery, Storm - Freeform, Teeth, Wisp - Freeform, blade - Freeform, buddy - Freeform, bulky, chef, crawl, disgusting, dizzy - Freeform, float, hide - Freeform, rocket - Freeform, throw, trap</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:28:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zsterwriter14/pseuds/Zsterwriter14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>31 prompts<br/>Two successful years<br/>Much less time<br/>and maybe some fun<br/>Lets go for year Three</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lambo Bovino &amp; I-Pin &amp; Sawada Tsunayoshi &amp; Fuuta de la Stella, Reborn &amp; Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Reborn/ Bianchi onesided, Sawada Tsunayoshi &amp; Vongola Tenth Generation Guardians</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Inktober prompts [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1502879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Day 1: Fish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Huuugh, I have like three assignments, some nice writers block, and Fish for a first prompt.<br/>I've been informed by those closet to me that mermaids obviously go with fish. So here you go, Impromptu fantasy au. <br/>Tsuna's a witchling and his friends are supernatural creatures he's in a coven with, with Takeshi as a Merman.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna sat at the river's bank, his knees tucked up to his chin as he watched the water. His spell book laid strewn in the grass next to him alongside the rest of his soaked belongings. A lazy fire spell hovered over the wet pile, drying out wrinkled pages and soaked through shoes. 
</p><p>Tsuna perked up when Takeshi broke through the surface of the water, Tsuna's wallet held aloft in the air. "Ah! You found it!" Tsuna cheered, scrambling as close to the shore as he dared. Falling into the river once was more than enough for Tsuna, thanks. 
</p><p>Takeshi smiled up at him, all sharp teeth and misplaced amusement. "You should be more careful Tsuna, if I hadn't spotted you you would have been fish food." The mer joked, tossing the witchling his wallet. 
</p><p>"Hie...Don't remind me, Takeshi." Tsuna whined, clutching his wallet to his chest. The sooner Tsuna forget his disgraceful fall off of the walking bridge, the sooner he can lie to his mentor about it. Reborn's hexes became increasingly harder to lift depending on how disasters he found Tsuna's accident to be. Plus he still hadn't managed to life the one that was messing with his sense of direction. He gave a quick look through his wallet, checking to see if he had both his allowance and his school ID card before he tossed it under the spell with his other stuff. 
</p><p>"Aw...But Tsuna, you falling into the river is how we met," The Mer teased, resting against the riverbank. Takeshi's dark blue scales caught the afternoon light, his deceptively pretty spines flexing in the stream. Takeshi wasn't quite old enough to have poison potent enough to kill a grown man yet, but Tsuna also remembers what happened to the person who had <i>shoved</i> Tsuna into the river that first time. "You should let me teach you how to swim." 
</p><p>Tsuna looked at his friend, eyed his spines, and looked away guilty. "I'm good, but..uh, Thanks for offering Takeshi." If he really needed to learn how to swim he would finally ask Reborn for that water breathing spell that gave him that sadistic gleam in his eyes. 
</p><p>Takeshi shrugged, "Fair enough, Did we get everything?" He asked, pushing himself up from the shore. 
</p><p>Tusna looked back, going through a mental list of everything he brought with him to school today. "Uhmm...I think so. You can get out now if you want. Thanks for helping,me. " He said slowly, double checking as he turned back to Takeshi. 
</p><p>"No problem, Tsuna. Give me a hand?" Takeshi asked innocently, holding out a webbed hand in his direction. Tsuna looked down at the hand, watching the river drip off it with a looming sense of disgust. He didn't know how but Takeshi's hands were always slimier than the rest of him. Maybe it was the webbing, maybe it was the subtler magics of a magic borne creature who like to mess with his friends. Either way Tsuna ended up with a wet, kinda sticky hand, and Takeshi got a laugh from his face. 
</p><p>"Why do you do this to me?" Tsuna whined, swallowing back as he clasped hands with his friend. It was a slimey as he remembered, but he helped Takeshi drag himself out of the river. His friend laughed at him, curling his tail up and out of the water. 
</p><p>"I'm not sure what you're talking about Tsuna." Takeshi lied to him, a bright smile on his face as he went from Mer to teenaged boy. Tsuna frowned at his friend, only somewhat glad that his enchantment on Takeshi's clothes held though the transformation. He sees how it is. See if Tsuna helped Takeshi the next time Reborn tricked them into bothering Hibari. 
</p><p>Just wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Day 2: Wisp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I'm sticking with the modern w/ magic au for this one it seems. I like baby witch Tsuna and Warlock Reborn.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna stared up at the sky, watching the clouds start to darken and curl up from the wispy white of a clear day into the looming presence of a thunderstorm in a daze. Distantly he resented the person who thought teaching storm magic to a preschooler was a good idea. Tsuna wasn't taught to throw more than sparks until he was at least ten and even now he was still learning the ins and outs of his inborn fire magic. 
</p><p>"<i>Get up Dame-Tsuna</i>." Reborn drawled over their mentor-trainee bond, the dark echo of his teachers voice seeming just next to his ear. "<i>Are you going to let yourself lose to a toddler? A high witch should be able to control their magic.</i>"
</p><p>That was easy for Reborn to say, drinking his stupidly bitter espresso on the porch while Tsuna tried to calm Lambo down. Most toddlers didn't throw off lightning when they had a temper tantrum. 
</p><p>As if in responce the sky flashed with eerily green lightning, the thick dark storm clouds starting to curve in in them selves. Thunder boomed in echo, almost louder than the sounds of Lambos screeching. 
</p><p>Tsuna stared up at the sky. Why did his mom have to go on that retreat? Maybe if he waits long enough Lambo would get it out of his system with no need for Tsuna to risk further electrocution. <i>He is reaaaaly glad he caved and let his mother and Kyoko use his clothes as enchantment practice. The cutesy magic symbols embroidered on his collar and sleeves might be embarrassing but they were effective.</i>
</p><p>"<i>Tsunayoshi, get up and deal with Lambo or I'll reaply this weeks hex twice as heavy. </i>"
</p><p>...on the other hand his mom put him in charge of his adopted siblings.he didn't want to disapoint his mom. 
</p><p>With a whine Tsuna wrenched himself off of the ground, static crawling over his skin. Lambo continued his shrieked demands for candy, his emerald green magic crackling over his tiny form. The storm rumbled ominously overhead. 
</p><p>Tsuna let himself fall back onto the grass, eyes closed as he contemplated his easy life before his father set him up to learn from Reborn. His life before he knew about the powerful magical potential he had under his skin, when he was just Dame-Tsuna who could barely keep a candle lit. 
</p><p>He hoped his mom came back soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Day 3: Bulky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It was a little late, but I started it on October 3rd. <br/>Enjoy my attempt at writing Sasagawa Ryohei and Sawada Tsunayoshi. While watching the good place, because half of the words got mixed up and it ran away with me. A friend said sweater when I said the prompt for today was Bulky and then it mixed with my idea to use Ryohei. My muse is a sell-out.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Owowowow...."Tsuna whimpered, the spell books Reborn had plied on him that morning sprawled around him. He had taken a particular thick one in the nose in the collision. "Hiiiiee, Reborn is going to kill me." 
</p><p>"Oh! I'm extremely sorry! I didn't see you there." Someone boomed, startling from one panicked worrying straight to social anxiety. Keeping his eyes down, he started stacking up the books and smoothing out the wrinkled pages. Maybe Gokudera could teach him the spell he uses to get the smoke residue out of his clothes, maybe it will works to get dirt out of ancient grimoires. "Let me Extremely help you up, Sawada!" 
</p><p>Oh Kami, he knew who he was. Most people either knew who he was and thought he was trash, or they knew who was and pitied him because they thought he was trash secretly. <i>He was happier under the curse his dad's boss had left on him, then Tsuna had no expectations for Tsuna.</i>  "I'm..good. Thank you." Tsuna murmured, sneaking a glance up at the person who was looming over him. They were tall, and seemed to be leaking magical energy like a...like...Man, he failed his English test didn't he. They leaked magic like something leaky, okay. 
</p><p>The person standing over him scooped him up, rough hands under his armpits lifting him up like he weighed nothing. "Here you go Sawada!" The stranger exclaimed, and he found himself face to face with a familiar sweater. It was bright yellow with a rune circle in dark blue masquerading as a very misshapen flower on the front. The same bulky knitted sweater that Kyoko had been making under his mother's guidance, the one for her...
</p><p>"Sasagawa Ryohei?" Tsuna ventured hesitantly, looking up from the rune circle to a familiar set of eyes and surprisingly white hair. There was an scar through his eyebrow that sparked memories of a story about fighting <i>gang members??</i>. Kyoko's brother, who ran around trying to get people to join the middle school boxing team and picked fights with all powerful guardian spirits. Her brother the...cursed shapeshifter. 
</p><p>"OH! Extreme! You know me!" Sasagawa exclaimed, seeming to spark with untapped magical potential. 
</p><p>"Uh, yeah...Kyoko told me about you. I..uh...my books." Tsuna mumbled, shuffling the books he had already picked up. The longer they laid on the ground, the sooner Reborn will find out he was two steps from dropping grimoires older than even Reborn's weird demon friend in a mud puddle. 
</p><p>"I'll extremely help you, Sawada-san." Ryohei exclaimed happily, dropping down to grab the last books from the ground. 
</p><p>Tsuna blinked, "Oh...uh Thanks." He mumbled, extending the stack out so that Ryohei could drop the books on top. 
</p><p>"You're extremely welcome, Sawada!" He shouted, slapping Tsuna's back. Tsuna stumbled forwards, almost dropping his books all over again. "Oops! Extremely Sorry! Do you need help with all those books?" 
</p><p> Tsuna opened his mouth to say no, but stopped, a hint of something filtering through his head. Something warm, and ..fuzzy. "Er...I'm going over to Takesushi to go over my books with my friends...do you wanna come with?" Tsuna ventured, before the crippling doubt could set in. 
</p><p>"Extreme! Let's go!" Ryohei cheered, swiping Tsuna's entire pile of books. 
</p><p>"I...Right!" Tsuna stumbled, watching numbly as Ryohei ran off with his books. Tsuna can run, totally.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Day 4: Radio</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not not caught up in the amoung us craze, but it has put me and my friends into a Alien space mood. Mostly me</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What are you doing Lackey?" Reborn crooned over his head, his in born warmth a brand even through his suit. Skull pretended to startle, shoulder's jumping twords his head as his head as he dropped the receiver. The radio screeched at it's mistreatment, the sound ringing in his helmet. 
</p>
<p>"Don't just come behind me!" He whined, adjusting the radio's volume. "I'm trying to fix the radio, because the great Skull is the best communications officer." He gestured to the staticky sound levels in demostration.
</p>
<p>"Debatable, lackey. Hurry up. The longer communications are out the longer you will find yourself helping Verde in Medbay." Reborn purred, patting the top of his helmet like he was a cadet. 
</p>
<p>"Yes, so you've said." Skull muttered as Reborn left communications. He grumbled as he turned the volume back up, changing the channels from the ship to the outgoing signal. The radio crackled for a moment before settling with a quiet humm.
</p>
<p>"<i>Report opperative Skuld.</i>" 
</p>
<p>"<i>Opperative Skuld checking in. Infiltration of the Acrobaleno was successful, and the original communication officer has been disposed of successfully.</i>"
</p>
<p>"<i>Noted, were there any issues with you infiltration Opperative Skuld?" 
</i></p>
<p>
 "<i>The crew of the Arcobaleno accepted the substitution easily, though I can only go so long without reporting in for my Medscan. The first mate is also showing a special interest in my duties and has been insistant on pestering me matter what I am doing.</i>"
</p>
<p>
  "<i>A false record will be provided in due time opperative Skuld. As for the First Mate, do you think you can eliminate them without rousing supisoin to yourself and your mission Opperative?</i>"
</p>
<p>
 Skuld...hesitated, the memory of the crew mandatory combat refresher all to stark within in his memory. A shiver crawled down his spines, and he had to stop himself from loosing his form. An all to common occurence since the refresher. "<i>No, Opperative Skuld will keep under the radar, the first mate is....adept at most forms of combat, and rarely alone without one of the crew coming to air some sort of grievance.</i>."
</p>
<p>
 "<i>Noted. Continue your efforts among them Opperative Skuld. Rember the mission.</i>" 
</p>
<p>
 Skull sighed as the channel cut off, switching the radio back to the ship channel. He remembered the mission, he was to find his way to earth and work from their to make a way for others to join him. 
</p>
<p>
 He sighed, turning off his jammer with an easy flick. The voices of the crew filtered back in over his com. 
</p>
<p>
  "<i>&gt;Lackey, Report to Medbay for you auxiliary shift.&lt;</i>" Crackled over the comm. 
</p>
<p>
 Skull groaned. His next mission was going to be to a nice ocean planet with no sentient life.
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Skull as an imposter. Too scared to attack his fellow Arcobaleno and quietly waiting out the end of his forced flight.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Day 5: Blade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You know Takehi's shape changing sword? The one he got from his dad and how the fandom makes it old and kinda sentient? Yeah, my little magic au continues....</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna rips his gaze from the bokuton lieing innocently infront of him to stare at his friend. "I'm sorry, did you say cursed?" He tried not to squeak. 
</p>
<p>Takeshi smiled, leaning back. "Maa maa, Only a little bit." The mer laughed, eyes attendant on Tsuna that was both unsettling and comforting. "Shingure Kintoki has been in my family for a long time, he goes along with the family style." Tsuna looks back at the sword, a taste of salt in the  back of his throat and a weight to his bones lingers the longer he looks at it. He had seen Takeshi's sword practice once, watched the way magic curved around him. 
</p>
<p>"I'm sorry did you say, him?!" Tsuna squeaked, scooting back so hard his chair tips. He yelped as he overbalences, tucking his head to his chest as the back connects to the floor. "Owowowow."
</p>
<p>"You okay Tsuna?" Takeshi asked, leaning over the table.
</p>
<p>Tsuna looked up at the celing, back aching. "Him Takehi?" He demands, rolling off of his chair into a crouch. "Hieeeee." He should've learned that healing spell before Reborn wandered off to find a demon gate. At least he had broken the sensitivity hex, so his sore back doesnt feel like someone smashed a sledgehammer into his spine. 
</p>
<p>"Maa Maa, don't worry Tsuna, he likes you!" Takeshi drawls, moving around the table to help Tsuna to his feet. Tsuna stares at him in horror. 
</p>
<p>He <i>hadn't</i> been worried before now but, the fact it was capable of having people it did and didn't like was terrifying. Takeshi laughs at his face as he rights Tsuna's chair. Tsuna scowled at him before looking at the blade. The taste of salt felt heavier on his tounge now, the press of water on his body nearly overwhelming. An old hunger tugs at him, tugs at his very essance. 
</p>
<p>Something Old, hungry, and humored that tasted like sea salt and blood. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna put a hand over his eyes, feeling his magic settle back under his skin. Reborn had warned him about the eye sight part of Hyper intuition he inherited from his ancestor. "Takeshi?"
</p>
<p>Takeshi gave him a smile, a hint if worry in his eyes. "Yes Tsuna?"
</p>
<p>"A little cursed is an understatement, Takeshi." 
</p>
<p>"Maa, didn't want to scare you off Tsuna." 
</p>
<p>"Takeshi!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Day 6: Rodent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I almost forgot to do this one but also, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Mmm, let's see..." Nana hummed, running a finger down the grimoire she had propped against the counter. "Three cut hairs from a pale horse....six toads...Five pounds of...Tsu-kun!" She called up, smoothing her hands over apron. 
</p><p>Something crashed upstairs followed by the ever familiar sound of gunshots and spells. She could hear the children shouting at each other. There's another crash, this time followed by her oldest tumbling down the stairs. 
</p><p>Tsu-kun looked harried, his mess of brown hair sticking out in all directions with spell residue glittering amongst the strands. He pulled himself up using the railing. A bruise was starting darken on his forehead, she would have to grab a compress. "Uh, yeah mom?" He huffed, leaning over the railing. 
</p><p>"Do you know what happened to the rat tails I was keeping in the kitchen for my potions Tsu-kun?" She asked, smiling at her clumsy child. 
</p><p>Tsu-kun blinked, before his face twisted. Her Tsu-kun was so cute with his nose all wrinkled. "Reborn took them. I don't want to know what he did with them." Tsuna said with a dramatic shiver. 
</p><p>"Oh, that's to bad." Nana said, turning back to her grimoire. She couldn't think of too many alternatives for rat tails, she filed her head as she tapped her lip. "Can you ask Reborn if he can get me some more?" 
</p><p>Tsuna made his little squeaking noise, "...Sure mom. Hieee.I'll get right on that." 
</p><p>"Thanks Tsu-kun!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Day 7: Fancy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First week done. More Modren with magic Au, I'm coming up with it as I go! And it gets a little influenced by whatever I'm into right now because it's so new.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Vongola ritual room was nothing Tsuna had came to expect from Reborn's nonsequtors, had been dragged to the European equivalent of an Obon celebration expecting a dark, dangerous place that smelt of blood and magic. Something like an ancient cave or a decrepit house with dark curtains and eerie witch light to guide them. A place that you'd put on a robe that covered your face and chanted dark things into the night.
</p><p>Instead they had been lead to a fearsome fortress containing the fanciest ballroom Tsuna had ever seen in his life, with glittering lights that gleamed off of polished floors and shining immataion silverware. <i>He had asked Reborn about the cutlery the moment he spotted it, concerned about Ryohei and Gokudera's health. It seemed like his ancestors also had the habit of hanging out with magical beings.</i>
</p><p>Classical music hung in the air amongst the chattering of the current Vongola Covan and their allies. Everyone in attendance wore elegant gowns, sharp suits, and what ever features they usually left under glamour around the mundane. 
</p><p>Even his gaurdians in attendance were dressed to fit in; Takeshi with a blue dress shirt, Kintoki, and shimmery blue scales out on display next to Gokudera's unnaturally pale skin, blood red shirt, and sharp fangs. Ryohei and Lambo were both in charming suits, yellow and green shirts respectively with Ryohei's curse scar on display on his exposed forearms.  Chrome, missing both her twin and an supernatural ansestory, had on a gothic inspired indigo gown, a decorative eye patch, and spelled wolvesbane twisted into her hair to mark her fledgling career as a huntress. <i>Mukuro had made himself scarse the moment Reborn first brought up their required attendance to this function, which as an powerful poltergeist was all too easy for him.</i>
</p><p>Tsuna rubbed the charm he had gotten from Hibari's shrine in Namimori between his fingers, the other hand tugging on the stiff collar of the orange dress shirt Reborn had pressed on him. Hibari had stayed behind in his territory and Tsuna felt his absence vividly. While he was aware that Hibari would despise this kind of gathering down to his bones and that Hibari was unlikely to leave the ground his family had safe guarded for centuries, it was strange to go somewhere and not feel even the lights weight of his influence. 
</p><p>It left Tsuna feeling vulnerable and twitchy enough that his gaurdians couldn't relax, Takeshi's hand on kintoki's handle and the gleam to Ryohei's eyes.  
</p><p>Tsuna prodded his end of his bond with his mentor mentally, seeking out Reborn's distinctive silhouette amongst the crowd. He twitched as his mentor responded, feeling almost like the warlock pinched him. "<i>Why am I here again?</i>" Tsuna thought, taking a step closer to his gaurdians and the wall when a group of vampires walked past. 
</p><p>"<i>You're here, Dame-Tsuna, because you are going to be the next Highwitch of the Vongola and this is one of the Vongola's many rituals. If you are that bored, Dino and his cohorts are in attendance. Stop pulling at your collar, you are representing your future coven, Dame Tsuna.</i> Reborn drawled, the hint of his dark magic tickling the back of Tsuna's neck. Tsuna's arm snapped to his side, glancing around to see where Reborn was lurking. 
</p><p>Takeshi leaned over Gokudera, hand on the dhampire's shoulder.  "You okay Tsuna?" Takeshi half whispered over Gokudera's growl. 
</p><p>Gokudera shoved him back, smoothing out his suit jacket with a hissed, "Leave the Tenth alone, you idiotic fish, he has an image to uphold. and stop trying to ruin my suit!" 
</p><p>Tsuna's absent reassurance was cut off by Takeshi, "Maa maa, it's just a fancy party. No harm done."
</p><p><i>Lambo, half crouched behind Ryohei with a plate full of cake and other desserts, sensing a oppertunity to get on Gokudera's nerves opened his mouth to make it worse before remebering the silencing hex Reborn had triple laid on him and turned back to his cake. His obedience doubly bought by a promise of more sweets if three of Tsuna's friend's reported back that he had behaved.</i>
</p><p>"This is a Vongola ritual ceremony! This is one of the most important events of the year!"Gokudera fumed, fists clenched at his sides. "If the Vongola does not complete the ritual the land of the dead with start to encroach into the land of the living and throw everything off balance!" Tsuna had no doubt that if they weren't under the unsubtle scrutiny of so many important members, Gokudera wouldn't hesitate to attack Takeshi. Tsuna was lucky that Chrome was an angel on earth and keeping Ryohei occupied in conversation about hunting techniques. 
</p><p>"Maa maa, Gokuera-kun. You're making a scene." Takshi said simply, a sharp grin on his face. 
</p><p>Gokudera's eyes flashed blood red. Concentrated rage tolling off of the dhampire. "<i>YOU -!</i>"
</p><p>Tsuna covered his face and whined, they'd only been here for half and hour and he was already ready to leave.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Day 8: Teeth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another among us Au with Skull the imposter. This was harder than it should've been with Teeth as a prompt.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Skull yawned, dropping his head against the the cafeteria table. Reborn had dragged him out of his bunk early that morning to accept a call from HQ now that they were in range. The first mate had given him coffee for his trouble but unlike humans his speices couldn't drink literal poison. Humans were weird. 
</p><p>"Early shift, Lackey?" Colonello teased from across the table. Skull leveled a flat look at the the blonde, sneering tiredly before propping himself up with hand. The Weopons officer stole his lunch, frowning at down at what Skull knew to be various diet supplements and viatems instead of the food on the menu. <i>He had submitted a long lost of allergies when he took the original's place, and in return he got a disgusting mash Verde claimed met all of his dietary requirements.</i> He shoved the tray back at Skull. 
</p><p>"Don't call me Lackey. I'm pretty sure I out-Rank you." He yawned, drawing his tray back in front of him. He swirled the mess on his tray with a frown. 
</p><p>"What the fuck is wrong with your teeth?" Collenello demanded, suddenly up in his face. Skull leaned back, a hand held in front of him to ward him off. 
</p><p>"What." 
</p><p>"Your teeth. What is wrong with them?" Collenello repeated, inches away from putting his hand in Skull's tray. 
</p><p>Skull ran his tounge over his teeth for show, changing them back to the human facsimile. "Is there food stuck in them or something?" He asked, baring his teeth for inspection. 
</p><p>Collnello stared at him for a moment, "They were different just a moment ago! They were all sharp and jagged and your tougne was purple!" 
</p><p>Skull raised an eyebrow, leaning back. "Maybe you're the one who needs more sleep if your seeing things." He drawled, picking up his tray. He extracted himself from the table, almost falling out when his boot caught on the bench. "See you later Collonello." 
</p><p>His comm crackled to life, "<i>Lackey, report to admin immediately.</i>" Reborn ordered. Skull looked at his food before sighing. Yeah, okay.
</p><p>He stomped off. They couldn't get to earth fast enough.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Day 9: Throw</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Takeshi looked at the ball Tsuna had handed him, turning the glowing ball between his palms. It was lighter than a baseball, fuzzy where a baseball was smooth leather and hard stitching. He could feel the warm,<i>sunset,home,burning,</i>of Tsuna's magic seeping from the ball. He tossed it in his hand a few times to get a feel for it, he didn't want to throw it too hard but he also didn't want to overcompensate and drop it at his feet. He didn't want to-
</p><p> "Would you throw it already! You're wasteing the tenth's time, Stupid fish!" Gokudera shouted, startling Takeshi out of his thoughts. He glanced back at where the Dhampir sat next to Tsuna and Kyoko on the spread blanket. They were haloed with both the moon and a mix of soft blue and bright orange witch lights the two witchlings had cast when the sun had started to go down, the colored light reflecting off of Gokudera's silver hair. The Dhampir leveled him a venomous glare, looking stiff next to Tsuna's relaxed sprawl. 
</p><p>"Maa maa, We have all night Gokudera,"Takeshi drawled, smiling at the dhampir's irritated hiss.
</p><p>Sasagawa-senpai, currently canine shaped and running circles around Takeshi, barked in protest, sliding to a stop in front of the baseball player. Senpai's silvery - white fur was particularly bright under the light of the full moon, making it look even softer than when the werewolf transformed during the day. He couldn't pet him though, he reminded himself as he showed the ball to him. Senpai barked again, his tail wagging so hard it shook his whole body. 
</p><p>Senpai was not a pet, he affirmed to himself. Even if he acted like one with his unnaturally bright eyes locked on the ball Takeshi waved back and forth in front of him. <i>He couldn't help himself, he always wanted a dog. </i>
</p><p>"Yamamoto-kun, please don't tease him." Sasagawa-chan chastised politely. 
</p><p>Ah, sorry Sasagawa-chan." Yamoto laughed, rubbing the back of his head. He shifted his stance, tossing the tennis ball up one last time to make sure he knew it's weight. "Alright Senpai, FETCH!" He threw the tennis ball as hard as he could into the night sky, feeling a twinge in his once broken arm. He watched at Ryohei shot off, digging up the grass where he launched himself forwards with a howling bark. 
</p><p> He glanced back at his friend's reactions, laughing at the wide eyed look on Tsuna's face. Tsuna was one of the only people in his class who never showed up for a home game, mostly to avoid his tormentors and any stray baseballs. 
</p><p>Gokudera threw an unlit firecracker at him, "Baseball idot, you threw it too hard." The Dhampir scolded, eyes flicking from the spot of white in the distance and Tsuna next to him. "Terf-top might get seen." 
</p><p>"Maa Maa, It was a light throw, and nobodies going to be at the park at this hour." Takeshi countered lightly, moving to sit on the other side of Tsuna. 
</p><p>"Me and Kyoko-chan also set up a barrier." Tsuna added, looking up from the spell book Reborn had given him before they had left his house. "She's really good at protection spells." 
</p><p>Kyoko pinked with pleasure, nodding in agreement. "Tsuna-kun is really powerful so no one should be able to see through this one! I'm more worried about the tennis ball..." She said, trailing off with a worried glance towards where Sasagawa- Senpai had went. 
</p><p>"I trust you Tenth! If you say the barrier will hold I'll believe you!" Gokudera enthused, a hand coming to rest on the umbrella Tsuna had given him. Takeshi only knew the barest details of the start of Gokudera's obsession with all things Tsuna, but he knew it had something to do with light allergies and explosions...
</p><p>"Uh, Thanks Gokudera-kun." Tsuna stuttered, looking back to Kyoko with a hesitant smile. "I...uh tried one of the spell from Reborn's spell book so the ball should last a little longer than usually. If the spell worked that is." 
</p><p>"Oh!" Kyoko gasped, perking up with a bright look in her eyes. "That's great Tsuna!" Tsuna flushed red so fast Takeshi couldn't help laughing. 
</p><p>"Don't laugh at the Tenth, you dumb fish!" Gokudera hissed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Day 10: Hope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> Tsuna knows he's supposed to be watching where he's laying the salt circle, but he can't stop looking up to watch his mentor. Ever since they got back from Aifam island the warlock had been unusually reluctant to utilize their bond, and extremely generous with the magic gun. <i>Tsuna still doesn't buy 'It's supposed to train your precognitive magic' drivel his mentor had given him the first few times Rsuna complained. They hurt and often ended with Tsuna incinerating his clothes.</i>
</p><p>"Pay attention to what you are doing, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn repermanded smoothly, his abyssal dark eyes pinning Tsuna where he stood. Tsuna almost caught the glimmer of something in his dark fathomless gaze, his magic flickering with a whisper of something, but the warlock looked away before anything could spark. "A good witch can lay a good salt circle without thinking about it." 
</p><p>The unspoken, <i>"but your not."</i> practically echoes in Tsuna's ears. Tsuna quickly righted his salt bag, looking at the pile of salt on the porch with a resigned irritation. The line leading up to the pile was equally disappointing, his distraction causing him to pour a line that was more radio wave than circle. 
</p><p>"Why do you need a salt circle for anyways?" Tsuna muttered, casting a small cleaning spell his mother like to use around the house. The salt picked itself up as he walked along it, allowing him to backtrack to the last properly curved section of the circle. 
</p><p>Tsuna would've understood it if Reborn had sketched a rune circle before hand, <i>or made Tsuna do it</i>, but the warlock had simply told him to make a large circle of salt and leafed through a grimoire he had never seen before. To make matters worse, leon who practically never left Reborn's side had relocated to Tsuna the moment Reborn drew the book out.  
</p><p>"Salt rings are for protection Dame-Tsuna. Especially purified salt." Reborn said, almost startling Tsuna into ruining his salt circle again. Tsuna knew that priests and priestesses used salt against demons and Ill spirits sometimes, so he supposed that made sence. His own mother bought protection talismans from Hibari's shrine, at least she did before Hibari-senpai started hanging around Tsuna's general area. <i>Kusakabe-san had mentioned something about the transitive powers of magic and blessings when Tsuna had asked why he didn't need new ones, but the tall pompadored teenager scared him sometimes and his explaination went in one ear and out the other.</i>
</p><p>"Protections from what?"Tsuna asked, looping his thoughts back to Reborn's response  as he completed the salt circle. A circle this small was obviously not supposed to protect the house. 
</p><p>A shiver crawled up Tsuna's spine, Leon's tiny claws digging into Tsuna's neck. The clear night air suddenly felt heavier, and the strangely sun warmth of Reborn's magic curled around him.
</p><p>"<i>Demons</i>," Reborn stated in english with a rare look of concentration, the book in his hand starting to glimmer a myriad of colors. "Out of the circle Tsunayoshi. Now." 
</p><p>"What?" Tsuna questioned, hoping out of the circle as the ground within started to shimmer the same color. He ran a gentle hand down Leon's back as the Camleon shook, possibly be cause it was cold outside... he hoped. 
</p><p>Reborn hummed, chanting something <i>old</i> from his book. He tucked it under his arm, pulling out a vial from his pocket, pouring out something that looked a lot like blood into the circle. 
</p><p>Tsuna tripped back when the circle flashed with a bright light, his back foot catching the edge of the poarch. He fell back into the grass, eyes shut and salt clutched to his chest. 
</p><p>"<b>WHo DARES SUMMON THE GREAT SK-.oh, it's just you.</b>" An inhuman voice roared initially, trailing off. Tsuna blinked his eyes open, squinting at the bright purple light emitting from the circle. He couldn't quite make out the figure in the middle other than a shadow hint of tentacles and the edge of teeth. "<b>What do you want Reborn? I was busy.</b></p><p>
 Tsuna's mentor looked away from the figure dismissively, instead meeting Tsuna's gaze. For the first time in two weeks he felt the familiar brush of Reborn's bond, his mentor's voice feeling inside his head and at his ear simultaneously. "<i>Come here Dame-tsuna, didn't you want to know?"</i>
</p><p>
 Well, now he didn't. Nonetheless he scrambled his way upright and to Reborn's side, keeping his eyes on the figure. It watched him in return, vividly purple eyes locked on Tsuna's form. 
</p><p>
 "<b>You look kinda familiar kid. Has the Great Skull meet you before?"</b> the being asked putting a against the glowing wall of the salt circle. Tsuna shrugged, his intuition screaming to stay quiet.
</p><p>
 Reborn hummed, "So that was truely you at Aifam." The warlock mused, pulling Tsuna away from the salt ring and closer to him. 
</p><p>
 The being narrowed its bright eyes at him, the teeth hivering on it's midsection curling into a frown. "<b>Yes. The Great Skull did not like being shot with blessed metal by the way, of great summoner.</b>" It...he?..sneered, looking away from Reborn. "<b>The Great Skull has more contracts than with just you.</b>"
</p><p>
Tsuna looked between the two for a moment, his intuition flickering brighter as Reborn's smile shifted. He remembered the man who had invaded the island with the kraken like octopus and the large battle ships carrying an excluded coven, but the being only really shared a color scheme with the helmeted man.
</p><p>
 "Really? Who would want to <i>summon a weakling like you?</i>" Reborn started, his japanese trailing off into a unfamiliar language that the being responded with leaving Tsuna neatly out of the conversation. The being glared at his mentor, teeth bared in a snarl. 
</p><p>
 Scooting out of Reborn's grip with a mumbled excuse about bedtime and school the next day Tsuna went back into his house wondering what had just happened. 
</p><p>
It would only be the next morning that Tsuna learned Reborn had summoned on of his contracted <i>demons</i> and was expecting Tsuna to learn how to contact the demon realm like that on his own later.
</p><p>
  But for now, Tsuna laid in his bed and just hoped all the salt didn't kill the lawn.
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Skull now has a place in my weird au...he's like a eldritch horror terror but in a human shaped package. I haven't decided whether or not the other arcobaleno were also Demons tho. </p><p>The ending is strange, sorry. I had very little idea where this was going.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Day 11: Disgusting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reborn had tipped from being just a witchling to being a warlock on a cold autumn night in an abandoned library. 
</p>
<p>A broken half of a stick of chalk, a stolen shaker full salt, and an old book full of arcane secrets. 
</p>
<p>He turned the page to a faded sketch of a rune circle. Leon, his familiar hissed, sharp little claws poking through his thin shirt. He ran a hand over his back, flinching when the Cameleon nipped him. "Leon, we have to do this. Healing magic and the chaos bullets aren't going to cut it." Reborn murmered, putting the book down and grabbing the chalk. 
</p>
<p>Leon hissed, skittering down Reborn's arm to the ground, skittering to perch on a stack of books. He sighed, grabbing the chalk again. He hoped purple chalk wouldn't invalidate the ritual, but he needed his money for food and kids left their chalk outside all the time. 
</p>
<p>He sketched the circle out, sprinkling a ring of salt around it when he finished. 
</p>
<p>He pulled out his knife, picking up the book with a hesitantance. Demon summoning wasn't banned, not like necromancy and time warping, but it was frowned upon. Making a deal for magic power was something he could never take back. 
</p>
<p>He clenched his hands, knuckles white around the blade. 
</p>
<p>No. He looked over the summoning spell again, he couldn't stop now. The families were already sniffing around him, and he isn't strong enough to get them to back off. 
</p>
<p>not yet. 
</p>
<p>He started chanting, walking around the circle. He tucked the book under his arm, pressing a knife to his palm. Leon hissed, but he slashed his palm over the circle. 
</p>
<p>He stared at the blood pooling in his palm, chanting the last line. Here they go. 
</p>
<p>The instant the blood drops onto the chalk, the space seems to collapse in on itself. A pressure he hadn't noticed suddenly gone as the rune circle lights up purple. 
</p>
<p>Reborn watches as the floor seems to crack open, whisps of black smoke curling up from it. 
</p>
<p>Oh so slowly the smoke starts to condense. Shaping into a strange amagulation of teeth and tenticles, a horrid screech ringing through Reborn's head. 
</p>
<p>All to soon the light faded and The thing he had summoned slumped to the edges of the salt circle with a wet slap, loosing it's shape for a moment. 
</p>
<p>He waited a moment, twitch when Leon skittered back up his body. The black mass spread out to the edges of the circle, a single black mass with teeth and the impression of tenticles. 
</p>
<p>There had been nothing in the book about what to do after you summoned something except for a few warnings about names and deals. "Demon, I would-" He started, holding his injured hand to his chest.
</p>
<p>"<b>Fuck, you're still here. Go away.</b>" The mass growled in an eerie voice. 
</p>
<p>Reborn bristled, "Demon, I have-!"
</p>
<p>"<b>My <i>name</i> is Skull, disgusting mortal. You may un do what ever little ritual now. The Great Skull wants nothing to do with you.</b> 
</p>
<p>Reborn could feel the magic burning in his veins in tandum woth his emotion. "I summoned you, Skull. I want a deal."
</p>
<p>The demon paused, pulling itself into something more solid. Narrow purple eyes cracked from the mass. "<b>You want a deal? A deal for what?</b>"
</p>
<p>Reborn frowned back at the demon. "Power, I want to become a warlock." 
</p>
<p>The demon pulled itself up, every drop of its ink blackness condensing into a a humanoid form of tenticles, teeth, and those bright purple eyes, now staring at him with wide eyes. "<b>Not sexual prowess or money? You want to partner with me.</b>" The demon crackled, leaning so close enough to the barrier it crackled. 
</p>
<p>Reborn scowled, "No....I want magical power." He explained slowly incase the demon was slow. 
</p>
<p>The demon rolled his eyes, "<b>Yeah, you want to bind your power to a demons, and you summoned me.</b>"
</p>
<p>Reborn frowned, "So I can summon a different demon and bond with them to become a warlock?" He mused, biting down a smirk when the demon bristles. 
</p>
<p>"<b>NO. NO, you summoned me and I don't even want your soul!</b> The demon shrieked, eyes wide and arms flailing. 
</p>
<p>Reborn smiled this time, "Then what do you want?" 
</p>
<p>He flinched back when the demon slammed into the barrier, teeth in a wide smile. "<b>Freedom. I want a way out of this literal hellhole.</b>
</p>
<p>"So, you give me your power and you get?" Reborn prompted, leaning back against the books. 
</p>
<p>The demon leaned back, looking Reborn over with a frown. "<b>I dunno...Freedom? An entrance into the human world, and probably a human form. Do you want this or not?</b>"
</p>
<p>"You have a deal, Skull the demon." Reborn stated stretching his hand over the edge of the barrier. 
</p>
<p>"<b>Yesssss.</b>" The demon cackled, grabbing Reborn's hand with two claw like hands. The demon's skin is wet like an octopus yet scaled like a fish, the claws almost sharp enough to puncture his skin. Before he could pull his hand back, the demon leaned down and licked across his cut with a tounge as black as the rest of him. 
</p>
<p>With a crackle of dark light and a sudden tug on his magic, the circle cracked and the demon's form blurred. 
</p>
<p>Reborn snatched his hand back, surling his lip at the demon. Standing there now was a pale child with large purple eyes and matching violet hair curling to his shoulders staring at slender hands. "That was disgusting."
</p>
<p>"It worked." Skull whispered excitedly. He looked up at Reborn, before scowling. "Don't be a baby, a little demonic saliva never hurt anyone." 
</p>
<p>"Don't do that again." Reborn growled, whipping his hand on his shirt. The cut had scarred purple and it shimmered just a little in the light.
</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah. The great Skull agrees. Now what's next?" 
</p>
<p>Reborn turned without answering, tucking his book and knife away under his arm. He could feel the demons power running under his skin, the prickling under his skin almost distracting. The sound of feet pattering only making him sigh. 
</p>
<p>A demon lackey could be a good thing, just think about how much he could achieve with a tie to hell.
</p>
<p>"Hey, what's your name anyways?"
</p>
<p>Think about the benifits.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Day 12: Slippery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is actually inspired by an actual chapter from the daily life arc. Modern with Magic au. I couldn't resist my Reborn/Skull interactions.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I don't think you thought this through Takeshi." Tsuna said idly from his perch on the edge of the pool. Tsuna hadn't quite thought it through himself, because what better way to beat the heat than going to the community swimming pool? Even better, going with your new friends to finally learn to swim! 
</p><p>"Dumb fish! Did you forget you change in the water?" Gokudera snapped, shadowed under Tsuna's old umbrella and practically lathered with sunscreen. Tsuna had told him that he would understand if the dhampir wanted to skip this outin, but Gokudera had been insistant. "You're lucky Reborn reserved the pool ahead of time to keep your secret."
</p><p>"Maa maa, What better way to learn than from a water spirit?" Takeshi mused, flicking his long tail along the surface. Gokudera flinched back from the spray, scowling at the fish. 
</p><p>"I'm not touching your gross fish skin, Takeshi." Tsuna deadpanned, leaning against his knees. Takeshi snorted, diving back under the water before he popped up next to Tsuna's toes. 
</p><p>"Come on, Tsuna, it'll be fun! Plus you wont hav to worry about drowning when someone shoves you into a river anymore."Tekshi weedled, eyes sparkling with humor as he offered Tsuna his hand. 
</p><p>Tsuna gave the hand a wary glance, shaking his head as he hugged him knees closer to his chest. 
</p><p>"Do youeven know how to swim with legs, you damn fish?" Gekudera groused, resting his umbrella against his shoulder so he could cross his arms. With the blocky shade, skull decalled shorts, and the zip up over his bare chest giving him a portion of modesty, Gokudea looked like a beach side poser. 
</p><p>Takeshi looked thoughtful before shrugging, "No, but it couldn't be that different." He mused. It did not fill Tsuna with a modicum of reassurance. 
</p><p>"It's very different, and you know it! It's like if I said I can teach people to charm other people because I'm a dhampire. There is a massive difference between<i> instinctual skills and learning skill in a way you can teach to others. Use your brain, Takeshi, I know you have one.</i> Gokudera ranted, slipping into italian halfway through. It was a step up fro. His friend ranting in Latin, which he still struggled with. 
</p><p>Tsuna and Takeshi shared a look, the mer wiggling his eyebrows and nodding at the pool. Tsuna shook his head vigorously, they were not going to push Gokudera into the pool. Did Takeshi have a death wish? 
</p><p>"Are you getting into the pool or not?" Skull interjected, suddenly behind them. Tsuna jerked to his feet, whirling around only to slip on the wet tile. 
</p><p>"Tenth!" Gokudera shouted, scrambling to his feet.
</p><p>Tsuna fell backwards into the pool with a splash, his head dipping beneath the surface of the water. Of course they had been sitting next to the deep end to accommodate Takeshi's tail. For a moment he worried he was going to drown in the community pool, his mind too full of static to even think of swimming. He was glad Reborn had convinced his mother to stay at home with the kids, of only to avoid being heckled by five year olds. 
</p><p>A pair of familiar hands tuck under his armpits and he can breath again. 
</p><p>A firm chest pressed against his back and Takeshi's arms sliding around the wrap around his chest. "That was close." Takeshi laughed tensely, claws carefully curved away from Tsuna's skin. 
</p><p>Tsuna blinked the water from his eyes just in time to see his mentor slap the demon upside the head. "I didn't let you tag along so you could drown my witchling, Lackey." Reborn purred darkly, a hand fisted in the demon's hair. It was almost comical with Reborns old-timey striped singlet and Skull in his vibrant purple swim trunks. <i>The was something subtly off about Skull's proportions, his limbs too thin, his hair too bright. The teeth he bares at Reborn are too perfect and too sharp, his tounge nearly black. Tsuna wouldn't be quick to forget Reborn's ...companions a demon. </i>
</p><p>"Don't blame The Great Skull because your witching is clumsy." Skull growled, snapping his teeth at Reborn. The warlock shook by the demon by his hair, smirking down at him. "The great Skull didn't even want to come to this dumb country."
</p><p>Tsuna dragged his eyes away from Reborn's strange fight flirting with his demon contract holder. Of course without that distraction all he could think about was his skin against Takeshi's. 
</p><p>It was all strangely moist and hard slick scales against his own skin. His feet were being braced by Takeshi's tail, but he felt like he was going to slip off at any time. Maybe that was why Mer were capable of mind bending songs to attract helpless humans.
</p><p>"Maa maa, If your mentor dates his demon, does that make the demon like your step mentor?" Takeshi mused, dropping his chin on top of Tsuna's soaked hair. 
</p><p>Tsuna wiggled, "Okay, I want out of the pool now." He muttered, pushing against Takeshi's arms. 
</p><p>"Aw, but Tsuna, you're already here." Takeshi whined, pushing them away from the wall with a wave of his tail. "Might as well learn to swim."
</p><p>"Hie, Takeshi..." Tsuna shrieked, kicking his feet as the tail disappeared from under them. 
</p><p>"Bring the tenth back you dumb fish!" Gokudera yelled, standing on the edge of the pool. 
</p><p>"Dont't worry Tsuna, we're going to the shallow end." Takeshi said, "Your mentor might skin me if I let you drown." 
</p><p>"Hiiie, don't joke about that. You'll give him ideas." Tsuna whispered, all to happy for his feet to meet the ground of the pool. 
</p><p>Reborn never needed new ideas. 
</p><p>Ever.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Day 13: Dune</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I think my Au just circumvents the whole Vongola-Simone conflict because Mukuro doesn't have a body. Have fun Enma and Tsuna interactions.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Wait so you're mentor's a ghost that used to be apart of my ancestors original coven." Tsuna asked, trading grimoires with Enma who nodded. 
</p>
<p>"He tried to possess Julie at first but apparently my magic was an 'insult to magic users everywhere' and he started teaching us." Enma said flatly, looking over Tsuna's fire tome. 
</p>
<p>"Reborn said the same thing about my magic." Tsuna lamented, looking over the earth spell in Enma's tome. He squinted at the spell title, slowly working through the ancient language. "Does this say Sand sorting or Sand storm?" 
</p>
<p>"Ah, Sand storm! Yeah, inks really faded in that one. Deamon keeps telling me I need to get it restored." Enma said nervously, glancing over the page. "I keep telling him we just don't have the money for it." 
</p>
<p>"Ah, all of my books actually belong to Reborn, but I could ask where he gets them done?" Tsuna offered. After learning about how his family kinda screwed over the Simone coven he'd been itching for a way to make up for it. 
</p>
<p>Enma shooks his head with a soft laugh. "That's more Aldeheid's thing, but I'll pass it on." The earth witchling said, tracing his finger over the pages. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna flashed a smiled before looking over his own book, he only get a few of the words down before a familiar head is nudging up under his arm. 
</p>
<p>"Gao~!" Natsu squeaked, his large paws kneading at Tsuna's knee. 
</p>
<p>"Natsu! No, I'm busy." Tsuna murmered, rubbing a hand over the lion cub's soft ears. His familiar radiated impatientence and a general sense of pet me now, pulling himself into Tsuna's lap with his sharp claws. "Hie! Natsu! Claws!Claws!" He lifted the book up just before his familar tumbled into his lap. 
</p>
<p>Enma smothered his laughter behind his hand, his shoulders shaking as Tsuna sighed down at his lap. Natsu wiggled onto his back to get himself comfortable, soft belly exposed with paws hanging in the air. 
</p>
<p>"I was doing something," Tsuna muttered, rubbing a hand over Natsu's head. Natsu blinked his bright eyes at him, chirping innocently. Tsuna put Enma's book down to pet his familiar properly. "Your lucky your cute." He scritched him under his chin, feeling his lion's pleasure through the bond.
</p>
<p>"Natsu is very cute," Enma agreed, still bubbling with laughter as he turned back to his own book. 
</p>
<p>"Just wait, your going to get a strange familiar and you'll have to break them out of a zoo too." Tsuna muttered, tugging at Natsu's little tuff. The lion cub bat at him with sheathed claws, growling playfully. 
</p>
<p>Enma looked up in shock, "You stole him from a Zoo?" his fellow witchling squeaked. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna looked up from covering Natsu's face with his hand, staring at his friend, "...No." 
</p>
<p>"You hesitated! My own witch brother, a theif." Enma gasped, falling back into his laughter. 
</p>
<p>"Hush you." Tsuna muttered, focusing on his familiar. At least Natsu doesn't betray him. 
</p>
<p>As If he could read his mind, the lion cub nipped him, wich was distinctly less cute with his sharp baby teeth. "Natsu! No biting." 
</p>
<p>Enma just laughed. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna flicked Natsu's nose, he needed better friends.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Day 14: Armor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Reborn, I have my actual tasks to do. You know, Communications? What I was hired to for?" Skull snapped, yanking his hand from the first mate's grip. "I don't have time to help with Nav. We are hours away from re-entry." 
</p><p>The Firstmate turned to him and seemed to loom over him. Amongst his own people, Skull would have shifter taller and sharpened his claws. but playing human had him crossing his arms and scowling. "Are you refusing to follow orders, Lackey?" Reborn asked, his voice almost amused. 
</p><p>Skull growled, "<i>Sir</i>, I will file a complaint about your behaviour whe we reach planteside. Let my do my jo-" 
</p><p>Skull had barely registered the shouted, "Skull! Down!" before something slammed right into his back. What he did register was the sickening crack of one of his spine plates and the rush of white hot pain. <i>Usually his spine plates were thick enough to stop a blade, but in a human shape under a tight under suit meant he had to thing them to fit. He regretted that now.</i> He can feel the broken edges of the plate digging into the soft tissue underneath, each shift bursting with more and more pain.
</p><p>He won't remeber the noise he makes as he fell into Reborn, nor digging his claws into the first mates arms right through their respective suits. 
</p><p>
  <i>"What was that noise?"
</i>
</p><p><i>"Fuck was that his spine!?"</i>
</p><p><i>"Get Medical here now!" </i>
</p><p><i>"Don't move him too-"</i>
</p><p>Skull blacked out. 
</p>
<hr/><p>The core crew of the Arcobaleno stood around the cot of their Communications officer was laid in, looking towards their medical officer for the report. The atmosphere of the medical bay was heavier than usual, the curtains drawn to separate them from the rest. 
</p><p>"This was not what his last med scan showed," Verde stated, tapping at his tablet. "But with all of the hours he spent here it would be easy enough for him to have altered the scanners programing." 
</p><p>Their comms officer was sprawled on his front, his suit cut away to expose overlapping bone plates growing along his spine and purple tinted skin. The plat over his lower back was cracked in two, dark blood beading along the edge of the crack. Verde had pulled the fragments from the wound but nothing else had been done. Skull's hands had to be strapped down, the wicked claws digging into the bed even now. 
</p><p>"I knew there was something off with him," Collonello groused, "Tried to tell me that I was seeing things." 
</p><p>"Do we know what he is?" Luce, the captain, asked, looking at Verde. 
</p><p>Verde poked at his tablet, swiping something onto the display over Skull's bed. "His species isn't registered on the Terran database, Human nor Earthling, but some of our further allies has some mentions of what he could be." The scientist stated, gesturing to the rather old chart on the display. "Basically he's a Caracas, a carnivorous race of shapeshifters known for their bright coloration." 
</p><p>"Is he a man eater?" Lal asked suspiciously, the security officer placing a hand on her holster.
</p><p>"From what I can tell? No. Both the documentation and my observations of his behavior have shown no inclination towards eating other sentients." Verde reported, scrolling through his tablet. "Unless people have been disappearing and no ones reported it?" 
</p><p>"Everyone is still accounted for," Viper stated, looking over Skull with interest. "Other than the communication officer he replaced. His documentation and paper trail was impeccable." 
</p><p>"Why is he here though?" Reborn asked, rubbing a hand over the bandages wrapped around his arms. "Why infiltrate our ship? There were several in port when we picked him up." 
</p><p>"We do boast a array of unique coloring, and thus none of us questioned his own bright colors." Fon pointed out, looking at Verde, Viper, and Lal's unique hair. 
</p><p>Verde leveled a flat look at the red suited officer. "We are also destined for earth." The scientist pointed out. 
</p><p>"If he was planning on sabotaging us, he would have done it before now." Collonello agreed thoughtfully. "He definitely wouldn't have put up with Reborn's harassments if killing us was his objective." Reborn smacked the weapons' officer upside the head, not denying the fact that he had been harrying the communication's officer just a little. "Hey!" 
</p><p>"I think the larger question is what are we going to do with this information." Luce cut in gently, putting a hand on Reborn's arm. The First mate settled down, looking away from Collonello. 
</p><p>"We don't know his motive," Viper pointed out, "And if we turn him in, there is not telling what Bermuda will do with him." The whole crew shivered at the thought of Bermuda and his team, no one wanted to deal with them. 
</p><p>"He should wake up soon," Verde stated, looking over Skull's vitals. "With his spine plate broken, he won't be all that mobile for at least the first hour or so." 
</p><p>"Then we wait and interrogate him when he wakes up." Lal summarized, "What if he is a danger to earth?" 
</p><p>The crew looked to their captain and First mate, the the pair having a silent conversation with their eyes. Luce nodded grimly and Reborn scowled. "If Skull turns out to be dangerous, he will be disposed of before we reach earth." Reborn said. "Back to your duties, Verde will tell us when he wakes up. " 
</p><p>"Yes sir." The crew murmured with varying levels of respect before dispersing. Reborn lingered behind with Verde, looking over Skull mostly still form. 
</p><p>"Don't let anyone see this," Reborn ordered. 
</p><p>Verde rolled his eyes, "Obviously, now get out of my med bay. Don't you have a crew member to hunt down for improper safety procedure?" 
</p><p>Reborn stared at the scientist for a moment before leaving the sectioned off space. He did have a crew member to interrogate, and to find someone to help with nav.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Day 15: Outpost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The safest place in Namimori was the Namimori shrine set on a hill overlooking the town.
</p><p>It had been there as long as there has been a town, a simple thing with a long stone staircase and shining wood. It was the place one went to get talismans and blessings all year round, or just to leave offerings to the gaurdian spirits. It was a place any of the inhabitants of Namimori knew they could go and feel safe.
</p><p><i>Even in the future where Byakuran destroyed the town it shadowed, it had stood, nearly untouched by the devastation.</i>
</p><p>Tsuna sat on the top stair of the shrine, turning to look over the untouched town. He watched the lights flick on to combat the setting of the sun, resting his head on his knees. Hibari's charm dangled from his fingers, the blanketing pressure of Hibari's presence curled around him and the town. 
</p><p><i>It bit at the memories of hollowed out building, of how dark Namimori had been in that impossible future. The weight of familiar magic tearing Tsuna away from memories of  Byakuran's heavy biting aura that had seemed to encompass the whole world. He had fixed that impossible future, but the months they had spent there lingered nonetheless.</i>
</p><p>"What are you doing here, omnivore." Hibari, because only Hibari-senpai called him that, rumbled behind him. 
</p><p>"Hiee! Hibari-senpai!" Tsuna shrieked, turning around. The youngest Hiabri stood just beyond the first gate, the setting sun catching the edge of his armband. "I didn't think anyone would be here this late. " 
</p><p>Hibari raised a single unimpressed brow at Tsuna, "I wouldn't be at my family shrine?" The upperclassmen murmered, probably amused.
</p><p>Tsuna blinked at him, looking over the spirits shoulder at the shrine. "I...Right. I just..forgot, I guess." Tsuna flustered, looking away from his gaurdians unimpressed expression. 
</p><p>The perfect huffed, "Why are you here Sawada?" He asked again, the spirits soft steps loud as he stepped up behind Tsuna. 
</p><p>Tsuna racked his brain for a good excuse, any sort of excuse that wasn't close to the truth. Rubbing his charm and sending silent thanks to Hiabri was one thing. Telling Hibari that his presence, his influence as gaurdian spirit over the town, made Tsuna feel safe? That he sought out the origin of his territory because Tsuna needed that reassurance after Byakuran? That his mere presence drove off Tsuna's nightmares? 
</p><p>Hah! NO. 
</p><p>"I uh...I've having trouble sleeping after...well, y'know, so I came up here to tire myself out. Because of all the stairs." Tsuna stuttered out, wincing at the mess coming out of his mouth. He was a terrible liar, his mother thought he was a terrible liar. Lieing to a spirit who could feel people breaking his rules no matter where in town they were was just idiotic.
</p><p>Hibari was silent for a long moment, his magic rippling around Tsuna. Tsuna waited for Hibari to call him out on his weak lie, to pry to truth from him with his Tonfa and his overwhelming might. 
</p><p>That's why he almost missed the spirits low, "Do you want to spar, omnivore?" 
</p><p>"I..what?" Tsuna blurted, shaking his head. "You want to spar with me?"
</p><p>The unimpressed eyebrow returned, "Unless you want to talk  omnivore you will fight with me. Now." Hibari stated, crossing his arms. Tsuna stared, hand falling to the gloves he couldn't bring himself to put down yet. "Make a decision, Omnivore. Talk or fight me."
</p><p>Tsuna stared out at the town, now only illuminated by the lights. "Alright, but uh...please don't break any of my bones. I still have to go down the stairs and back home." Tsuna said, pulling on his gloves. 
</p><p>"Then you shouldn't lose." Hibari said with a sharp smile. He tugged his tongs from where the spirit keeps them, shifting his stance. "I'll bite you to death." 
</p><p>"Hie! Wait wait wait!" Tsuna shrieked, jumping to his feet. "The Stairs!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Day 16: Rocket</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hayato would do anything Sawada Tsunayoshi asked of him and lived happily withing the knowledge that the future high witch of the Vongola coven would never ask him to anything he wouldn't readily do for himself. Tsuna was selfless, brav, kind and powerful enough to stay that way. He still remembered Tsuna giving him his umbrella to keep him out of the direct sun, his quiet but earnest insistence that he shouldn't hurt himself needlessly. Even after Hayato almost killed him. <i>As a dhampire Hayato could walk into the sun, but spending too long could lead to lasting burns.</i>
</p>
<p>Hayato was <i>more</i> than willing to anything Tsuna asked of him. Legal, illegal, didn't matter as long as Tsuna was the one asking. That said, the one thing he had a problem with was... <i>bonding with the others.</i>
</p>
<p>"So why do you have so many of these firecrackers anyways, Gokudera?" Yamamoto Takeshi, technically here for Gokudera to enchant his baseball bat, said idly as he tossed one of Gokudera's sticks of <i>Dynamite</i> like it was a toy. 
</p>
<p>"It's Dynamite you dumb fish!" He snapped, snatching it from the air before he could do something dumb and blow up both of them. "An dangerous explosive if your brain can't comprehend that it is not in fact a firework!" He slid open a drawer and tossed it inside gently, glaring at the fish who had the gall to laugh at him.
</p>
<p>"Maa-maa, your so high strong." Yamamto laughed, lounging back on Hayato's stoll. 
</p>
<p>"Why can't you take this seriously!? We are going to be the gaurdians of the High witch of the entire magical underworld. People will be aiming to eliminate Tsuna and us just for knowing about it. People have already tried in case you forgot about Rokudo." Gokudera growled, gesturing towards the sole window. 
</p>
<p>"Ah, but that was in Kukyuo!" Takeshi pointed out cheerfully, smiling at Gokudera as of that meant anything to him. 
</p>
<p>"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!?" He shouted, itching for a cig or a a nice lit stick of dynamite to shove down the fish's annoying throat. That would show him. 
</p>
<p>"Ah~Keep forgetting your not from here. Hibari protects Namimori, it's his whole thing." Takeshi said, "And Tsuna has his charm now."
</p>
<p>Gokudera often wondered what the hell the Tenth saw in this pile of uncut sushi, especially after that eloquent explaination. He was marginally aware of Hibari, they had a nice little moment at Kukyuo land, so he knew about his obsession with the rule and the school. Anyone who met the prefect for any length of time could deduce that. "And?" He prompted when the fish stopped talking. Takeshi blinked at him, looking around to see what Gokudera could be talking about. What did that charm Hibari had given the tenth have to do with Takshi not taking the dangers of the magical world seriously. 
</p>
<p>"And what?"
</p>
<p>"AND, what does that mean??"Gokudera snapped, pushing down fantasies of wringing the baseball idiots neck. 
</p>
<p>"Oh, It's a way for Hibari to keep an eye on Tsuna no matter where he is. It's a gaurdian spirit thing, I think. It will help him to keep his strength outside of Namimori." Takeshi explained, starting to get distracted with Gokudera's room again.
</p>
<p>"Hey! What's a gaurdian spirit?" Hayato demanded, snapping his fingers in Yamamoto's face to regain his attention. 
</p>
<p>Yamamoto looked at him for a long moment before breaking in laughter again. "You really don't know anything about this, do you? The fish snickered out. 
</p>
<p>Rage was an old and familiar friend took over him like a growl. "SHUT UP YOU DUMB FISH." Gokudera shrieked, moment before he grabbed the dynamite from the drawer.  
</p>
<p>"Very High strung." Takeshi teased, dodging the Hayato's dynamite. 
</p>
<p>SHIT UP!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Day 17: Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Verde watches the dark rolling sky with disdain, rubbing the locked joints of his stiff hands. He would need to visit Fon's necromancer contact again to renew his seals if the atmospheric pressure was affecting his physiology and the efficiency of his limbs. 
</p>
<p>Like the kankorus reptile he was, Kaimen clawed his way onto Verde's lap uncaring about how many of Verde's stitches he ruined on the way up. "You are a disgrace to modern innovation," He told the alligator dryly, patting his snout. The creature rumbled at him, curling around Verde with a grumble. "Lazy reptile."
</p>
<p>Of cource because he was now pinned by his rather immovable pet, his phone went off. As if in recognition of the sound the reptile curled his claws into his legs. 
</p>
<p>Verde sighed, "Phone, voice recognition of user: Verde. Accept incoming call." He stated as evenly as he could. 
</p>
<p>"<b>Voice recognized. Accepting Call From Narracistic Warlock.</b>" His phones automated software chimes, his ringtone cutting out. 
</p>
<p>"Reborn, for what do I get the honor of your presence." Verde drawled, tracing Kaimen's scales with a stiff hand. 
</p>
<p>"Humor me Verde, did you or did you not send assassins after my student." Reborn purred over the phone, and Verde imagined the look on his face. 
</p>
<p>"I might have, I might not have. I did send out a pair of my assistants to get information on Vongola intuition. My current Hypothesis is that a pure blooded Vongolan Witchlings can see through both illusion spells and cloaking technologies." Verde articulated, rubbing a thumb over Keiman's eye ridge. "I don't suppose you have any data you could provide regarding it? Though the constraints to modern science might be beyond you and your mystical ways." 
</p>
<p>"The local gaurdian took them out at the boarder, he left your assistants bodies on my students front lawn. I recognized your handiwork." Reborn said lightly, laughing to himself. "Though to cooperate on your hypothesis, Tsuna did see the bodies before your cloaking failed." 
</p>
<p>Verde hummed, annoyed but thoughtful. He tucked away the  confirmation of his hypothesis, annoyed at the lack of data. "Gaurdian?" He asked, itching for one of his journals to jot the information down in. 
</p>
<p>"A type of spirit, anything considered a part of this town is under his and his families purview. One of the younger members has taken a considerable interest in my student." Reborn warned, because there was no other reason for the warlock to inform him. 
</p>
<p>"Noted," Verde murmered, blinking as thunder rumbled outside. Rain started to hit his window, Keiman curling tighter around him. "Tell Skull I have something for him to test. Phone, end call."
</p>
<p>"Verde, -" Rebron protested right as the call cut off. 
</p>
<p>"<b>Call ended.</b>" 
</p>
<p>"Shut off," Verde ordered, leaning back the cushioned wall of his window seat. He would have to put more research into cloaking spells that could trick even supernatural senses. It was good he knew a demon eagar to experiace all of humanity. If he could develope a spell-technology matrix that could hide even a bonded pair from each other there was a chance it would work on Vongola Hyper intuition. Trying it on Skull would also give him a chance to annoy Reborn when his bonded disappeared. 
</p>
<p>Keiman shifted again, shoving his little reptile feet against Verde's bad knee and pulled the stitches on thigh. "You evolutionary failing. You know exactly how long those take to redo, not to mention the torn flesh I will have either replace of repair." 
</p>
<p>The alligator hissed. 
</p>
<p>Verde sighed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Day 18: Trap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There is a pointed silence between them, though one was distinctly more relaxed than the other. 
</p>
<p>"This is prodegeous work Vongola." Mukuro said eventually, floating up just enough to admire the ghost trap under his toes. "I was unaware you knew how to do this." The small fluffy witchling flinched, displaying his salt circle. 
</p>
<p>"W-well, Reborn is a warlock." The witchling mumbled, shoeing the salt into a straighter line. The young magic user glanced at him before finishing the circle. "He deals with demons y'know, and he knows all sort of demon traps and spirit circles."
</p>
<p>Mukuro hummed, testing the bounds of the circle. "I don't think I'm worthy of all this, Vongola."
</p>
<p>In a rare form of bravery, the witchling snorted at him. "You're the one who called yourself a demon. I wanted to be sure that you couldn't get out."
</p>
<p>He gave the witchling a long look, leaning against the barrier. "My spirit's been to hell, not damned." Mukuro drawled. 
</p>
<p>The future decimo paused in placing his bag of salt back into the kitchen, a flicker of the young vongola's distinct orange fire magic over his hands. "I know, I uh, saw that when we were fighting. Y'know when I went all dead eyed and firery." The witchling slammed the cupboard door. 
</p>
<p>Mukuro didn't let himself freeze, but some of his more wispier edges stilled. "Ah, that's interesting. I thought you were fire natured. This is something I would've expected out of your little seer." He said neutrally, turning from the witchling. His mind whirled, wondering what exactly that meant. Did he see the depths of the underworld Mukuro had sludge through, every life he had been forced to relive in his mind? The horror of watching both science and ritual being conducted on his friends? Did the young innocent Vongola heir watch him as he summoned all of the spirits in that wretched place and used them to tear that facility to its death stained foundations, laughing while he did it. 
</p>
<p>He could feel the Vongloa's eyes on his back. "Fire magic and Hyper intuition run in the Vongola family line." He said softly, Mukuro's shoulders tensed before he could help himself. "And Fuuta, isn't a seer. I mean, the ranking planet. He get his information from something not the universe and he does the weird gravity thing. Gokudera think he's an alien decedent with a high intelligence and something he said in Italian that I couldn't understand."
</p>
<p>The Vongola laughed quietly to himself, and Mukuro huffed, turning back to look at him. "What is this all about Vongola, why set up traps." He asked.
</p>
<p>"Hyper intuition sees through illusions and intents." The Vongola recited, looking skeptical. "Why were <i>you</i> haunting my house, Mukuro?" 
</p>
<p>Ah. Mukuro had been checking out the Vongola to see if he could sneak in his mind, assuming he wouldn't been spotted if he didn't want to. "Why not just banish me? You seemed very keen on wanting to destroy me and my aims when you fought me at that amusement park."
</p>
<p>"Then you helped Chrome fight Viper, and Chrome is much nicer than you." Tsuna retorted, fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. 
</p>
<p>Mukuro raised an eyebrow, putting a hand to his chest. "Sweet Nagi told you to trap me? Some how I think our young huntress is to sweet for that." He drawled.
</p>
<p>"Ah! No. NO! Chrome just told me where you uh, haunt. Actually, now that you joined my coven I can..."
</p>
<p>Mukuro interrupted, waving his hands. "Excuse you, When did I join your coven? I was fairly certain my antiestablishment ideals made it clear I wanted nothing to do with your institution." 
</p>
<p>Vongola shrugged, "You fought in the ring battles, for me, as my gaurdian. You and Chrome are kinda dual occupying it which is weird. But if you want the ring your gonna have to fight Chrome for it, she might exorcise you." The teen  rambled. 
</p>
<p>"Why am I here Decimo?"
</p>
<p>"As a member of My coven, I thought you'd like your body back." Tsuna said nervously. "And because I'm an heir apparent, wich is dumb cause I dont want to but whatever, I can get your body from the Vindice."
</p>
<p>Mukuro paused, "Oh, I would prefer your body, but my own would be a nice substitute."
</p>
<p>The teen relaxed, "Oh thank Kami. That's all you can leave now." Tsuna said, drawing his foot over the chalk and salt. "I'll tell Chrome when it, uh, comes."
</p>
<p>"Right. See if I cant convince you by then."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Day 19: Dizzy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Back to the Among us au, because I fits for this one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Skull came to with a groan, something pinching his wrist and a dull pain in his lower back. For a moment he thinks he's in his bunk in the cabin room, his sheets twisted around his limbs and caught on his pointier ridges. It happens sometimes, easy enough to just shift to soft human skin and un wrap the thin blanket from his limbs. 
</p><p>He twitched, tugging at his wrists again. He twisted his wrists, frowning at the feeling of soft padding tightened against the soft skin of his inner wrists. He took a deep breath in through his nose, resisting the urge to taste the air. 
</p><p>Blood, his blood, and the sterile smell of industrial antibacterials. 
</p><p>The Medbay.
</p><p>"Ah, fuck." Skull huffed, tugging on his cuffs. He couldn't actually remeber what lead up to it, but he could remeber something hitting his back. Cracking one of his spinal plates. "I was really hoping I was out of your care when you found out about my uh, med scan mix up. Can I be let up?"
</p><p>"That depends, what was you motive for infiltrating the Arcobaleno, Skull the alien?" Reborn asked, leaning just into Skull's peripheral. 
</p><p>"I'm a Caracas, infiltrating is what we do." Skull huffed, "I was to get to earth and see if you were valuable allies or...better assets. Can I move now?"
</p><p>Reborn shifted, "Verde said you weren't to move until you wake up and tell him your actual medical information." He stated. "You collapsed because someone clocked you across the back with a pipe. Verde has no idea how to handle your injury, and you were in intense pain. You are lucky that the pain medication works as well as it does."
</p><p>Skull shifted his head to look at the IV sticking just under the cuffs. "Ah. Could I get that out? I think its preventing my shapeshifting. It's hard to think." He said, glancing back at Reborn. 
</p><p>"Let me call Verde to Med bay, and you can tell him about how to fix your back problem. Then you can move." Reborn retorted, the familiar crackle of the comms activating. "Dr.Verde to the Medical bay, the patient is awake."
</p><p>"My spine plate. I thinned them to pass for human, did he fix the jagged edges? The impact had curved them inwards, and let me tell you, you dont know pain until your own body is cutting into your flesh. If he did I can heal the injury." Skull asked, flexing his spine plates.  His lower plates didn't move, probably restrained with bandages, but he could feel the clean edges. 
</p><p>"So you're species has an accelerated healing rate." Verde stated flatly, suddenly seeming to be right next to him.
</p><p>"Uh...Yeah, part of the shapeshifting. You splinted the spine plate, right?" Skull informed, jumping as Verde cold fingers pressed against his back. 
</p><p>"Yes, after removing the fracture pieces from the wound. I used flexible metal pieces and adhered then on either side of the crack. What can you actually eat? You don't eat the supplements you were provided." The scientist informed, tugging at the bandages wrapped around Skull's lower back. 
</p><p>"Uh, Then yeah, I should be good. I wont collapse if I get up." Skull said, shaking his wrists. "Oh, and take out the IV and I can show you my actual form." 
</p><p>Skull heard the clinking of keys, and the familiar feeling of Reborn's hands on his wrists. "Answer the question, first, then you can be freed." Verde stated, the familiar tic tic of his pen against his tablet. 
</p><p>"Is Skull'a diet really an import querie Verde?" Reborn demanded. 
</p><p>"You hired me as a medical professional, First Mate Sinclair. Skull doesn't eat his supplements." Verde stated. 
</p><p>There was a long pause. "Fair enough. Answer him Lackey."
</p><p>Skull rolled his eyes, "I can eat meat, raw meat from an animal. Your gross protein substitutes are inefficient and plant matter make my stomach upset. Can I get up now?" He asked, shaking his wrist again. "If I can lose this dumb squishy shape, I want my armor back to blade stopping thickness."
</p><p>He can see Reborn's arms and the black of his space suit, the click of the binds unlocking. "Your plates must be particularly resistant, they don't have any scratches and are remarkable jewlike." Verde mused.
</p><p>Skull sat up the instant the cuffs were removed, rubbing his wrists. The back plate twindged, but he could feel the metal holding it. He tugged the IV out, putting his mouth over his wrist. 
</p><p>Both of his ...crewmates? Crewmates looked at him strangely, Verde's usual casual disinterest deepened onto disdain and Reborn staring with unbidden disgust. "What, I want the pain killer out. It makes me fuzzy and the room is kinda tilting." He defended, taking his wrist from his mouth. He spat the blood onto the floor. "You wanna see a Caracas or not."
</p><p>"Are you a incect speices?" Reborn asked.
</p><p>"No," Skull drawled. "You're speciation doesn't really applied to my speices. Its kinda dumb."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Day 20: Coral</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you going to grow your hair our?" Lambo asked takeshi, the five year old staring him dead on. There was a storybook, hanging from one sticky hand and a grape lollypop stuck to his hair. The brush Tsuna had been using on his curls stuck in his hair from when the kid had dashed off at the sound of the door.  Tsuna was two second from tucking the five year old under his arm and booking it upstairs. 
</p><p>His best friend, blinked at the child Tsuna had been saddled with by his father. "Oh, hi there. My name is Yamamoto Takeshi, Tsuna told me your...Lambo?" Takeshi introduced, meeting Tsuna's gaze. 
</p><p>"Your the mermaid, so you should have long hair!" Lambo declared, pointing an accusing finger at Takeshi. He lifted the book he had been looking at while Tsuna tackled his hair. It was the child styled bestiary his family had sent in their monthly care package. Standing behind them meant Tsuna couldn't see the specific page but he could imagine what his friend was seeing. 
</p><p>Takeshi looked at the page for a long moment, nodding at what he saw. "I see, I see. Maybe I should grow out my hair. This is a look." He said very seriously, nodding at the book. "I am not meeting my full Mermaid potential."
</p><p>Tsuna burries his face on his hands, why do these people keep intruding his life. 
</p><p>Lambo nodded vigorously, "The great Lambo is the greatest Mage! He knows all about magic and magical creatures!" The five year old declared, raising his book up. 
</p><p>"Lambo needs to got to back to Kaa-san and get the lolly pop taken out of his hair," Tsuna countered, looking down at his psuedo brother. 
</p><p>Lambo whirled on him, "The great Lambo is saving it for later, loser Tsuna." The five year old onjected, tossing his book at him. Tsuna caught it with his face, stumbling back. The curse Reborn had applied kept him off balance enough that he tripped back into the doorway. 
</p><p>"Hie, LAMBO!" Tsuna shouted, holding the back of his head. The kid disapeared up the stairs. "Dumb brat."
</p><p>"Mah, he's cute. Precocious." Takeshi drawled, leaning an arm on Tsuna's shoulder. 
</p><p>"Hes a brat and annoying. He drew in my spell book yesterday. I had to start over." Tsuna complained. 
</p><p>"Hey, you wanted to show me something?" Takshi said, nudging him.
</p><p>"Ah, no. Reborn wants to show you something. He also wanted Gokudera and Hibari-senpai, you just came over first. And actually got back to me." Tsuna admitted, looking at his phone. 
</p><p>"Maa, If Hibari-Senpai and Gokudera are coming it sounds like a party." Takeshi said cheerfully, rubbing Tsuna's shoulder. 
</p><p>Tsuna stared at his friend for a long time. He needed saner people in his life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Day 21: Sleep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hibari Kyoya watched the Omnivore sleep, Sawada's head pillowed on his gakuran. The witchling was nearly on Kyoya's lap, having sat down after their spar and fallen asleep.
</p>
<p>Sawada had been kept up by nightmares the last few days since they returned from that future. He wasn't the only of them who experienced that future and couldn't sleep in this peaceful past. The others found comfort in each other or with confused but compassionate parents who knew how to sooth restless sleep. 
</p>
<p>Sawada was the only one to seek him out. 
</p>
<p>Kyoya was not surprised. He was aware that Sawada relied on him, and knew the reassurance his meer presence brought the Omnivore. Kyoya was a gaurdian spirit, had been since his birth, and as long as the Namimori shrine stood his family would be connected to this town. He was one of the strongest gaurdians his family had seen in centuries, and his ties to Namimori ran deep. 
</p>
<p>Kyoya knew every person who considered Namimori their home. He knew their names, their thoughts, and their intentions if he cared to learn them. Anyone who stepped past the town lines and breathed fell under his perveiw and his influence fell around the town. In his town, on these particular streets, Kyoya was unbeatable and his people were protected. 
</p>
<p>As a witchling of phenomenal power and a anxious disposition, Sawada was sensitive enough to feel his presence no matter where the Omnovore roamed in Namimori. It was a part of why Kyoya had given Sawada the charm. He would never grow into his fangs if he was hampered by irrational fears, and it let Hibari keep an eye on whatever problems Sawada and his lot brought into his town.
</p>
<p>Sawada shifted in his sleep, his hand curled into the sleeve of the gakuran.This close Hibari can feel the how his thoughts were soft with sleep, not even the barest hint of the troubles that haunted his mind on his way up the stairs. No dreams of a future avoided. 
</p>
<p>Kyoya had been the last of them to be transported to that future, but battle was a familiar rythm of his life and violence was a tool he never hesitated to utilize. Nonetheless he had his own scars from that trip that will be slow to fade, the largest being the sudden disconnect from everything. 
</p>
<p>That future Namimori had not been the one they had known, full of strangers that didn't consider it a home and land to damaged to recognize anyone. He had been torn from the comfort of his charges and left at the feet of his homes misplaced children. Shoved into a battle his future self had fought against terrible monsters without the heart beat of Namori in time with his own, he had survived but he would never forget the feeling. 
</p>
<p>In the present, this peaceful past with war torn children bound to him by magic and a shared goal, he doesn't sleep this night. Sawada finally came searching for the safety of Namimori's gaurdian, and Kyoya can't help but provide the shelter of his presence.</p>
<p>He brushes the barest of touches through the Omnivores soft brown hair, Sawada relaxed further. 
</p><p>The omnivore could have tonight, but tommarow he would have to enter the shrine if he wanted anything. Kyoya couldn't risk the Omnivore getting the dilusion that they were more than acquaintances.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Day 22: Chef</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna knew he souldn't stare, but he wasn't sure what he was seeing. 
</p>
<p>"Rebooorn, c'mon, I'm hungry!" Skull whinned, because that's what he was doing. So far Tsuna had been blessed to never witness a grown man beg for food like a dog, and he never knew it to be a blessing until it was before him. "Feed me." 
</p>
<p>"It's right in front of you Lackey, can't you feed yourself?" Reborn asked innocently, a peice of nigiri held in his chop sticks.  The demon's eyes locked on it, the unatterually bright violet tracking Reborn's movements. "Can't use chopsticks yet, lackey? I thought you've been all over the world." He waved the peice of sushi just under Skull's nose and when the demon leaned forwards to ger it the Warlock ate it himself. 
</p>
<p>"Rebooorn, come onnnn." Skull whinned, falling across the table, just missing the sushi. "I'm always hungry around you."
</p>
<p>Tsuna put down his own food, his mind going to places he never wanted it to go. The worst part was he was with his friends, at Takesushi, and people were <i>staring</i>. 
</p>
<p>"Do..Do they do this at your house?" Takeshi whispered in his ear, hand in front of his mouth. 
</p>
<p>"No," He whimpered, hiding the two from veiw. "Reborn actually feeds him. Though it usually doesn't involve been hand fed." 
</p>
<p>"It's tied with their bond. Demons usually feast off of the souls of their contract holder, but Reborn found a loop hole and instead feeds him food. It had to be given to him by Reborn apparently, or it doesn't work." Gokudera muttered, probably too used to the sickening display his sister put on to be put off his meal. 
</p>
<p>"Huh, Is Reborn going to train you to summon demons, Tsuna?" Takeshi asked, nodding at Skull. The demon glanced at them, sticking his tounge out. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna ducked his head, he hadn't realized either of the were paying attention to anything but themselves. Takeshi snorted, stealing one of Tsuna's salmon."Hey!" 
</p>
<p>"You didn't look like you wanted it." His friend defended. 
</p>
<p>"Don't steal from the Tenth!" Gokudera hissed, luckly a seat away from Takeshi. 
</p>
<p>"It's fine!" Tsuna assured quickly, waving his hands. He glanced up to look at his friends to make sure the attention didn't switch from Reborn and Skull to Tsuna. The fact 
</p>
<p>It was just in time to see Reborn finally indulge the demon, Skull taking a peice of sushi from Reborn's chopsticks with a flash of white teeth. The demon purred, smiling at Tsuna's mentor like a cat who got the canary. 
</p>
<p>"Uh, so how is it?" Takeshi asked, unafraid of the strange aura that seemed to hover around Reborn and Skull whenever they interacted. 
</p>
<p>"It's good. It's been a while since me and Reborn have gone out together. Forever since we've had Su-MMPH!" Skull remissed until Rebron shoved another peice of sushi in his mouth. 
</p>
<p>"Don't say it like that, Lackey." Reborn scolded, taking a peice for himself. 
</p>
<p>Skull rolled his eyes, swallowing. "What like we're dating? Why would the great Skull date you? Give me on of the egg ones." He dismissed pointing at a peice of sushi. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna sighed. He counted the days till Skull went back to whatever demons did when not chilling with their contract holders. It couldn't come sooner.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23: Rip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was tempted to just kill of Iemitsu Sawada, but this is better.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna stared at his father, if that was who this man actually was given that his father became one with the stars several years ago if his mother was to belived. 
</p><p>After meeting Reborn and learning exactly what his father had done for a living, he was pretty sure his mother chopped his father up for a potion after he was born. His mother's side of the family were full of that sort, even if their magic wasn't this european weirdness, female magic users raising their children without husbands.
</p><p>He had been sure that the sight of his father with the pickaxe had been an after effect of the lingering magic in the air after the battle. Some of his spars with Gokudera and Takeshi had left him with vivid hallucinations, his hyper intuition getting lost in the nature of the spells. 
</p><p>Yet, here he was, in his own house with a unfamiliar grown man drinking sake nearly naked in front of him. He radiated a lazy fire magic, nothing like his own despite being similar. It felt like a searing flame against his skin, and a drunken slap to his face. 
</p><p>It was quite obvious what Tsuna had to do next. While his mentor bond with Reborn had been closed for the past few hours he was pretty sure a possibly malevolent spirit out weighed whatever his mentor was doing. "<i>Reborn?</i>" He shoved through, feeling a hint of something wet and hot from mentor before the familiar cold fell over the bond. 
</p><p><i>"Tsuna, this better be vitally important. I'm in the middle of something."</i> Reborn responded, sounding annoyed. His  mentor's pressance loomed at his back, the salt and hellfire simmer of Skull's own presence closer to his mentor than usual. 
</p><p><i>"There a ghost in my living room and I think it's trying to give my siblings alcohol!</i> Hie! Get away from them sprirt!" Tsuna squeaked, using a small spell on the two five year olds to be able to scoop both of them up. A baby dragon could get away with some alcohol, maybe, but he didnt want to see what happened when a storm natured witchling got drunk. 
</p><p>"Stupid Tsuna!" Lambo complained, wiggling in his grip. "The weird blond man was gonna give Lambo and tailhead something fun! He said so!" 
</p><p>"I-pin wants to try!" She agreed, her little claws manifesting to try and claw her way out of his grip.
</p><p>The blond man blinked at him, staring at Tsuna for a moment. Tsuna backed up rapidly, readjusting his grip on the two. "Nope! Don't you two know better than taking food from spirits?"
</p><p><i>"Tsuna, focus. What kind of ghost?</i>" Reborn asked, a ghostly touch at his shoulder. 
</p><p>"But Maman said that it was your dad, stupid-Tsuna." Lambo whined the same time. 
</p><p>"<i>My dad, I think the fight with Xanxus today awakened something."</i>" Tsuna sent Reborn, starting up the stair. To the brats trying to wiggle their way out, "If you guys be quiet upstairs with Fuuta I'll teach you the counter to the silence spell Reborn like to use." 
</p><p>It was suddenly much easier for Tsuna to get them upstairs, which was good considering the spell making them lighter was wearing off.
</p><p><i>"Dame-Tsuna, your father isn't dead."</i> Reborn responded, sounding distinctly annoyed. 
</p><p>Tsuna nudged the kids' bedroom door open, "Hey, Fuuta. Don't go downstairs for a bit." He said dropping the two fire year olds down, he ruffled Lambo's curls. <i>"Can you come over then , I don't...I don't want to talk to him"</i>
</p><p>The bond is quiet for a moment, the sensation of a sigh ringing in his head. <i>"Give me ten minutes Dame-Tsuna. We'll talk about this later."</i> 
</p><p>Tsuna can take that. He was half expecting Reborn to deny him, but a conversation about his feeling about being abandoned by his father wouldn't be too bad. As long as Skull doesn't interupt with his Skull-ness it should be fine. 
</p><p>...He tried not to think about what Reborn was doing. He had an idea, but he wasnt going to think about it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Day 24: Dig</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He placed his ruler against the side of the hole. "You said six feet, right?" Tsuna asked Lambo who was digging with him. The five year old had Tsuna's old plastic shovel and a bucket full of worms collected from their hole already. 
</p><p>"Yep!" Lambo cheered, "Help Lambo collect worms for Maman's spells stupid Tsuna." 
</p><p>"You're doing just fine Lambo, I need to finish my hole. I need to make it longer I think." Tsuna muttered, laying the rules on the flat. He was a few feet off from six, but he figured length and width were more important for his purposes. 
</p><p>"Lambo can help! Lambo is good at digging holes! And at collecting bugs and worms for Maman!" The five year cheered, humming to himself. 
</p><p>"Then you can make it longer, I'll make it wider." Tsuna decided, starting on shaving the dirt from the sides of their roughly rectangular hole. 
</p><p>"Right! Digging! Lambo's digging a hole~!" Lambo started singing, scooting to the shoter side to make it longer. 
</p><p>They work with Lamboxs little song to keep the company for a good ten minuetes before I-pin poked her head over the side. 
</p><p>"What you doing?" She asked, her japanese still a little clunky. 
</p><p>"We're digging a hole! And getting worms for Maman!" Lambo exclaimed, holding up his bucket. 
</p><p>Tsuna looked up, holding the ruler to check the width. He would have to overcompensate because his attempts to get proper measurements were unsuccessful. He probably could've gotten them, but the training had amped up with the Varia's presence and Reborn had Skull hover. "You wanna help, I-pin?" He asked, looking at the hole. Given Tsuna's goal size, they could fit at least one more helper. "I only have the two shovels but..."
</p><p>"I-pin can dig. Get more worms that the broccoli monster." I-pin decided, changing from a little girl into a dragon. The little noodle reptile jumped into the hole with them. Tsuna opened his mouth to protest but looking at the curved claws on his sibling in this form he just noted he would have to clean under her nails late. They would all need a good scrub later. 
</p><p>"Help Lambo make the hole longer." Tsuna instructed, picking up his mother gardening shovel. "You can up the dirt on the pile. We'll need it later." 
</p><p>The three of them fall into a rythem, and steadily the hole becomes closer to the proper size. He was glad he changed Lambo into some of his old clothes because his white cow onesie wouldve been a brown one by this point. 
</p><p>A shadow fell over their hole, causing all three to look up. Reborn and Skull loomed over them, the warlock eyeing their hole with a knowing expression. The demon croached down near it, poking I-pin's little snout. She snapped at him, her red scales covered in dirt.
</p><p>"Fon's wondered how you've been." Skull mummered, scratching behind her growing horn nubs. The baby dragon melted with a rumbling purr, falling into the demons waiting hands. Skull holds the noodle to his chest, petting her back. 
</p><p>Reborn looked at Tsuna, catching his eyes. Reborn raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing, dame-Tsuna?".
</p><p>"Digging a hole, getting worms for mom, entertaining Lambo. Preparing for later." He muttered as he measured the hole again. "You told me I had to learn to multi-task." 
</p><p>"Tsuna, preparing for what?" Reborn asked, looking all to aware. He probably knew already. 
</p><p>"My father wants me to fight trained assassins. To prove myself worthy of becoming the Tenth." Tsuna said idlelly, nodding at his measurements. "I want my mother to have more options than a lieing asshole."
</p><p>"Tsuna, you're too young to kill your father. He's a powerful magic user." Reborn stated, glancing towards his house. 
</p><p>"If I win I'm going to commission Xanxus. He's an assassin." Tsuna said. "If I lose, I'll use it." 
</p><p>"Making a grave for Tsuna!~" Lambo cheered. 
</p><p>"Tsuna. No."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Day 25: Buddy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Whossa good boy. Whossa god boy!" Takeshi babbled, rubbing Jirou's face between his hands. The Shiba barked, his tail wagging. "Yes, it's you! Your such a good sword dog. The best magic buddy."
</p><p>"So, how are you gonna tell your dad?" Tsuna asked, his liberated lion cub cozied up on his lap. Takeshi paused, fiddling with Jirou's ears. 
</p><p>"Maa, that better question would be how Ryohei is going to explain a Kangaroo. Not everyone can just tell their parents they were given a magical familiar by their future selves, no matter how adorable." Takeshi said, running his hand down Jirou's ruff. 
</p><p>Tsuna shook his head, "Ryohei was a witchling before his accident, his parents were prepared for something like this. Kyoko has been looking in pet stores for her own familiar. She was jelous her own future self hadn't found hers yet." Tsuna explained, cracking a shy smile. Natsu merped up at him, prompting Tsuna to scratch the cub under his chin. 
</p><p>And their other friends either lived alone or lived with parents willing to take in an animal. Kojirou at least was willing to take to nesting in the tree outside Takeshi's house. Jirou was less convient. 
</p><p>"Your dad is a nice guy, Takeshi. And Jirou's a well behaved familiar." Tsuna said, pulling Natsu's claws out of his pants legs. "I could ask Reborn or my mom to talk to him. I know that mer, even magically inclined ones, don't usually pick up familiars." 
</p><p>"Huh, does your mom have a familar?" Takeshi asked, adjusting Jirou's collar. He looked over the yard, ignoring the large hole dug along the side of the fence. Lambo was standing with Miss Sawada, Gyuudon's guide rope in her hand. The skinny legged calf nosed at the handfuls of grass Lambo held out, a beaming smile on the five years face. 
</p><p>Tsuna blinked in surprise, looking towards his mother. "I...I never asked. Magic was always Mom's thing up til Reborn upended my life. I'd have to ask her." He said softly, jumping when Natsu lept from his lap. 
</p><p>Jirou perked up, eyes on Natsu's swinging tail. Takeshi was aware that the familiar knew each other from that future, had come across more than one snuggle bundle. Jirou tugged himself out of Takeshi's grip with a excited bark.
</p><p>Natsu jumped, whipping around to stare at the dog. The lion cub was close in size and he had seen him tear into another familiar in battle, but everything else was apparently terrifying. "Jirou...." Teaahi started, reaching for Jirou's collar. 
</p><p>"Hie, Natsu...Not now!" Tsuna squeaked, scrambling to get up. Takeshi lunged for the collar.
</p><p>Both animals bolted, Takeshi's fingers bushing Jirou's fur. Tsuna tripped, falling onto the grass in an attempt to grab Natsu. 
</p><p>The two started running around the lawn, startling Gyuudon and Lambo. "BAD DOG! BAD KITTY!" Lambo shrieked, clamping onto Nana. 
</p><p>For a second he considered trying to separate them, but he also remembered what happened to Skull when he tried to hold Natsu incorrectly. Natsu had sharp claws and a habit of attacking when startled. Jirou wasn't as jumpy but he was heavy and wiggly when he wanted to play.
</p><p>Takeshi looked at Jirou and Natsu and them chasing each other in  the yard. Then he looked to Tsuna, who had the same expression on his face. 
</p><p>"Your Mom could watch them and you can help me tell my dad about our new dog?" Takeshi offered, holding out a hand to his friend.
</p><p>"Uh, yeah. Let's do this now." Tsuna agreed hurriedly, taking Takeshi's hand. He pulled Tsuna up, and they started out. They would come back later when the consequences of their familiars couldn't be placed on them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Day 26: Hide</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For reference this is just before Mukuro's arc.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna traced his finger under the paragraph in front of him again, reading the spell description again slower to try and understand the terribly old language. If he memorised this one spell he would be able to have magic translate the books for him. He groped his desk for his cheat guide, just starting to peice together what it was getting at. 
</p><p>"TSU-KUN!" His mother called, startling Tsuna right out of his chair. He had obviously been reaching too far without noticing, and now his focus has been broken."TSU-KUN, Come downstairs please!" 
</p><p>He pushed himself off of the floor, sitting back on his knees to rub at his stinging elbow. If only fire magic and precognition lent itself to healing magic his life would be so much easier. 
</p><p>He used his desk to pull himself up the rest of the way, stretching out his back with a humm. A glance at his spellbook told him he wouldn't find clarity any time soon, not only had he lost his place but the words were spinning across the page. Apparently a quirk of older spellbooks, they went strange after so much exposure to magic.<i>Tsuna was pretty sure both his mother and Reborn had gone the same way.</i>
</p><p>"Tsu-kun!" His mother shouted again.
</p><p>"Hie! I'm coming alright!" He yelled back, closing the tome. 
</p><p>He made his way downstairs with relatively few accidents, managing nearly the entire staircase before he tripped on his own feet two steps from the bottom. He just barely managed to catch himself on the wall, slamming into the doorframe soundly. 
</p><p>The kitchen was practically simmering with heat and magic, a potion on one burner and what might be their dinner bubbling on another. Ingredients twirled around his mother, the rythmatic chop of her knife it's own sort of music. His mother truely blossomed in the kitchen in a way she did no where else. 
</p><p>Surprisingly his mentor was nowhere to be found, his usual spot at the kitchen table inhabited only by Leon. Tsuna vaguely remembered something about a meeting, but the details were lost in his translation haze. 
</p><p>"Mom?" He ventured cautiously, running a hand through his hair and over his shirt to at least look like he hadn't lost a battle with gravity. 
</p><p>His mom spared his a quick second glance, flashing him a motherly smile. "Ah, good! Can you tell the kid's it is time for dinner soon? They've been playing outside all day so they need to wash up before they can eat." She instructed, stirring her potion with a precise motion of her wrist. 
</p><p>Tsuna opened his mouth to protest before closing it. It wasn't like he was doing anything important at the moment since she interrupted him. "Yeah, okay. I can do that." He muttered, pushing off the wall. 
</p><p>He passed Skull on his way to the living room, the demon stretched out on their couch in casual clothes for once. They exchanged a short nod, their eyes meeting for a moment. 
</p><p>The kids had left the screen door open, and when he went outside the only one he saw was Lambo. 
</p><p>The younger witchling perked at the sight of him, running straight into Tsuna's knees. "Tsuna-nii! The great Lambo demands you help find tailhead and Futta-nii! We're playing hide and seek, but they're not playing fair!" The five year old cried, tugging on Tsuna's hoodie. 
</p><p>Tsuna squashed Lambo's curls down into his face, "Be nice, I'm older than you, you brat." Tsuna chided, looking around. There weren't that many places in the back yard for them to hide, especially ten year old Fuuta. Luckily though, Tsuna had a trick up his sleeve. "I-pin, Fuuta! Mom says it's time for dinner! The last one to get inside has tooo..uh, has to clean the room!" That was what Mom always made him do when he was late coming home, this applied right?
</p><p>Like magic I-pin seemed to appear from within the tree, the little dragon jumping out of the tree with flair. When she hit the ground she was I-pin again. As soons as she had her feet under her, she bolts through the open door. 
</p><p>Lambo wriggled under his hand, "Stupid Tsuna! Let me go! Lambo will win!" The brat yelled, starting to sparkle just a little. 
</p><p>Tsuna frowned, looking around the yard. "Where's Fuuta?" The part he had labeled his intuition started to stir, a bad feeling curling in his stomach. Fuuta was easily the most behaved of the kids he's accidnelty brought home with him. He was so tentative about when he asked for things and was oh so obedient. Futta wouldn't have left the yard, not with the threat of the men coming back for him outside Mom's wards.
</p><p>Lambo wriggled harder, "Lambo doesn't know. That's how hide and seek works, stupid Tsuna." The five year complained, pouting around his curls. 
</p><p>"Right, right! Go inside." Tsuna muttered, pushing Lambo forwards. Lambo stuck his tounge out at him before he darted inside. Tsuna checked around the side of the house just in case he was hiding just inside the gate, knowing deep down the boy wasn't there. 
</p><p>He ran back inside, nearly tripping over the step into the house. "Skull!" He hissed, not wanting to alert his mother just yet. He crashed into the couch, knocking the breath from his lungs. "Skull, you can feel nearby people right?" 
</p><p>The demon blinked at him, frowning at him. "The great Skull can do many things, what's wrong?" Skull demanded, sitting up. 
</p><p>"Can you feel Fuuta anywhere near here?" Tsuna asked, anxiety clawing at his throat. He might get annoyed but they were his siblings now, he...he didnt want something bad to happen. 
</p><p>Skull scowled, "Of cource you ask when Reborn isn't here. He's better at this, le me see." The demon muttered, eyes going distant as bright purple flooded the white. Tsuna resisted the urge to pray, not sure how asking for divine lucj would interupt Skull's power. 
</p><p>It feels like the longest ten seconds of his life. 
</p><p>Skull's eyes snapped back to normal, the demon sitting up on the couch. "Something's blocking me, and it has power." The demon growled. Tsuna's felt his stomach drop, his intuition screaming at him. "I'm gonna get Reborn. See if your Mom can find him."
</p><p>Tsuna nodded rapidly, pushing off the couch. "MOM!" He shrieked, running into the kitchen. His mom looked up, turning to look at him. She can see the look on his face, her own faltering. 
</p><p>His intuition guides his words, he can taste the ashy taste of it on his tounge. Fuuta wouldn't run away, not with who stands at the door. Fuuta was finally feeling safe among them. 
</p><p>"Mom, Someone took Fuuta!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Day 27: Music</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thin calloused fingers, a scarred hand held in his own. The other on the shallow dip of his waist, the easy sort of warmth of another person. 
</p>
<p>He kept his free hand on their shoulder, their bodies meer inches from each other. The fabric under his hand is nebulous and smooth, a half remembered memory of silk and cotten blends. He can see the shining black of his partner's slick black shoes, so close to his own shoe clad feet. 
</p>
<p>Music played in his head, a three beat rythem played in a quartet's sound in his ears. A haunting sort of song that one can never remeber when they wake up, but think about every day anyways in that small distant part of themselves. It's his song and a bit of his partner's song twisted up into something nice.
</p>
<p>They dance. 
</p>
<p>They dance a waltz he doesn't know when he's awake, and barely knows in this dream. It's why his partner leads, their gentle guidance leading him through the steps with ease. His own stumbling feet unusually graceful, his partner's toes trodden. 
</p>
<p>It's the nicest dream he's had in a while. 
</p>
<p>"Enjoying yourself, decimo?" A familiar voice purred, his partner spinning him in time with a flourish. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna was spun back into Mukuro's arms, the illusionist smiling at him. The dream blossom's with his appearance, the Vongola ritual hall melting into veiw with other dancers to fill the space. The cold grave feeling of Mukuro's magic lingers in the edges of the dream, the warm ashy taste of his own magic keeping him warm and unswayed. "Mukuro." Tsuna hummed, meeting the heterochromatic eyes of his Mist gaurdian. No one had thought to send Mukuo the the future, the time spell unequipped to transport something both dead and ever so alive.   Thus he stayed with his friends, searching for a twin sent ten years ahead. Unknowing if they would ever come back, or if they were even alive after that. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna squeezed Mukuro's hand gently, following him into another spin. "I like this better than the nightmares." Tsuna admitted quietly. The cold kept closer, practically touching his heels as he danced. 
</p>
<p>"I'm glad Sawada. Your mental unrest was disturbing darling Chrome." Mukuro scolded, the song building towards it's final crescendo. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna snorts, following Mukuro into the final steps of the dance. "If I could, I'd never would have done to the future." Tsuna  declared, obligingly leaning back as the mist gaurdian dips him. He stared out into the upside down illusionary crowd, Mukuro's hands warm on his spine. The vauge people illusions clap appreciatively, Mukuro tugging him back up right. 
</p>
<p>"You are being uncommonly accommodating tonight, Vongola. I don't suppose..?" The illusionist ventures with a Leary smile. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna rolled his eyes, stepping back from Mukuro's hold. "No. I'm just enjoying a night free from nightmares." Tsuna insisted flatly. He meets Mukuro's gaze again, giving him a gentle smile. "Thank you. I appreciate the efforts you made to do this for me."
</p>
<p>Mukuro scoffed, "Don't get confused Sawada, I just want you for your body." He insisted. Still, he held his hands out for Tsuna to retake, another song starting to fill the air. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna laughed, "Sure. I'll keep that in mind." 
</p>
<p>He retook his hand. 
</p>
<p>He might ask Mukuro to do this again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28: Float</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you ready for this Mukuro?" Sawada asked, one of his mentor's spellbooks clutched to his chest. 
</p>
<p>Mukuro stared at his body with a detached sort of intrest. It's not a particularly pretty body, deathly pale and twig thin limbs covered with a dark shroud to preserve what little modesty he had to his name. Without his illusions covering it, he can see the reminders of the Esterano, silvery scars criss crossing pallid skin. The only one he can't see if the bullet hole from when he had put that cursed bullet in his own head, his dark hair arranged to cover the wound by Chrome. 
</p>
<p>"Mukuro-sama," his darling Nagi murmered, taking his attention away from his body. She stood across from Sawada, a athame held in one hand and a lit black candle in the other. 
</p>
<p>He looked to Sawada, who met his gaze with magic filled amber and a small smile. Sawada who advocated to have his body returned from the Vindice. The boy who was willing to join Mukuro and Chrome in a dark necromatic ritual to raise him from the dead without consulting his mentor.
</p>
<p>"Yes, let's get on with this, I think." He said, drifting back from his corpse. He glanced at Sawada from the corner of his eye, letting a salacious smile to grace his face. "Do be careful with me Sawada." 
</p>
<p>A ruddy blush tinted Sawada's cheeks, the orange flickering as his focus falters. "Hie, just...Just do the thing." He mumbled, opening his book. The shy witchling glanced up, fingers curled around the edges of the tome as he met Chrome's glance. "You ready Chrome-chan?"
</p>
<p>His darling Nagi nodded, her single eye burning with a rare determination. 
</p>
<p>He drifted to her side, laying a hand on her shoulder. Their bond snapped awake like a live wire, his magic filling her empty veins. What is the strange hollow warmth of humans turned to his own cold grave magic with a hint of funerary flowers that was all Chrome. 
</p>
<p>Sawada took in a deep breath and started chanting. 
</p>
<p>The dark room of the abandoned theme park started to fill with the heady warmth of the Vongola's fire magic, his own through Chrome twisting into the rune circle they inscribed onto a sheet they brought with them. 
</p>
<p>Mukuro felt it the instant the spell started, a tugging lodging under his ribs and a pain in his head. 
</p>
<p>He pushed one last chunk of magic into Chrome's system, just enough to keep the spell going and everything goes dark.
</p>
<hr/><p>Waking up after his resurrection is stranger than being a ghost ever was. The weight of his own limbs startling after months of weightlessness, the thrum of his own pulse practically buzzing in his veins. His first breath felt significant, unused lung filling with air all over again. The cotton sheet against his back is the first thin he truely feels, his fingers twitching against the smooth cotton. 
</p>
<p>They actually did it.
</p>
<p>It takes him a moment to open his eyes, lost in the refound sensation of life. His first look at a life after death the pair who brought him back in the first place, wide wet eyes looking down on him. 
</p>
<p>"Mukuro!" "Mukuro -sama!" The two cried, Chrome pulling him up into a hug. He huffed a breath out in surprise, his whole body tingling with contact. He tentatively put his arms around her, all too aware Sawada was watching him. 
</p>
<p>"How do you feel?" Sawada asked, hands flapping anxiously in the corner of his eyes.
</p>
<p>Mukuro glanced at him resting his head against Chrome's shoulder, and smirked tiredly. "Rather undressed, unless that's how you want me, Sawada."he purred, wiggling his eyebrows. 
</p>
<p>The blush returned full force, the witchling squeaking and covering his face. "HIE! Mukuro!"
</p>
<p>Mukuro snickered into Chrome's shoulder. Her own breathless giggles tickling the top of his head.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Day 29: Shoes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Lambo! Get back here!" Tsuna shrieked, scrambling after the five year old with a vengeance. 
</p>
<p>"The great Lambo will not! Stupid Tsuna!" Lambo cackled, waving a Tsuna's outside shoes over his head. 
</p>
<p>"Lambo! I need to get to school, or Hibari will get mad!" Tsuna cried, following the cow child up over the couch. "Give me back my shoes!" 
</p>
<p>Reborn watched him from the kitchen, Tsuna could feel his disapproving yet amused stare following him.
</p>
<p>"Nananana Stupid Tsuna! You can't catch me!" Lambo cried, leaping onto the end table. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna ran through the spells he knew, his mind blanking out with the sort of emptiness only desperation could provoke. If he showed up even a second late Hibari would beat him up and give him that look that made Tsuna feel more like a useless waste of space than usual. Hibari was particularly good at scathing looks, probably something to do with his whole demon of Namimori thing. Or maybe it had to do with Tsuna's growing appreciation of the prefect's aura of saftey and general bad-assery. 
</p>
<p>"You're losing to a five year old again, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn drawled, Tsuna twitching as the warlock tugged on their bond. 
</p>
<p>"You're the one who insists I go to school." Tsuna muttered, rubbing his temples. Lambo pouts at him, waving the shoes in his peripheral. Tsuna sighed, he was more than happy with his habit of going to the first half of school and then ditching, but noooo. Now Tsuna has to go on time and people expect it of him. People have expectations of him. 
</p>
<p>"Lambo demands that Tsuna play more keep away with him!" Lambo cried, throwing one of Tsuna's shoes at him. Tsuna fumbled it, clutching the shoe to his chest. 
</p>
<p>They stare at each other, and Tsuna can't belive he hadn't thought of it earlier. 
</p>
<p>"Give me back my other shoe and I'll give you candy when I get home." Tsuna offered, slipping on the shoe he had. He wasn't risking Lambo stealing it back. 
</p>
<p>The five year seemed to consider it, "Grape candy?" 
</p>
<p>Tsuna nodded, "Grape candy," He agreed, holding out his hand. "But only if I get my shoe back." 
</p>
<p>Lambo beamed, "Alright!" Lambo agreed, tossing Tsuna his shoe." 
</p>
<p>"Thanks, you brat." Tsuna said simply, pulling it on. He wished he knew those teleportation spells future Lambo seemed to use, that would be great! 
</p>
<p>In lou of that he grabbed his water bottle from the front area, he would have to run. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna stretched his legs. Tsuna hated running.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Day 30: Ominous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna would never admit it, but after Reborn introduced him to his demonic partner Tsuna had been waiting for him to meet Bianchi. <i>Bianchi's obsession with Reborn disturbed Tsuna, the 17 year old Vampiress hanging onto the warlock's arm and her attempts to strait out murder him.</i> 
</p>
<p>He wanted to know if they knew each other, if Skull had been hanging around when Reborn ran jobs with the hit woman. He hadn't quite figured out what exactly the relationship between the two of them was, Skull and Reborn that was. Gokudera stated vehemently that Reborn and Bianchi's relationship was one sided obsession and insanity on his sister's part, the closest they get being the jobs the went on together. 
</p>
<p>He didn't have to wait long, the rosette approaching Reborn, Skull, and himself outside the gate. 
</p>
<p>"Reborn darling!" She cried as she spotted him. Tsuna edged behind his mentor, hoping to go unnoticed less she tried to shove her poisoned fare down his throat again. Her skin shone faintly from the numerous spells on it, apparently a gift from Reborn after their first job. It meant despite being a future undead creature of the night, the older teen had deathly pale skin on display to be more appealing. 
</p>
<p>He was so focused on keeping his eyes on Bianchi that he almost missed Reborn stiffening just a little. The lightning quick glance in Skull's direction, before his mentor settled back into his usual nonchalance. 
</p>
<p>He definately didn't miss Skull's reaction, as the demon <i>bristled</i> like a cat and took a clear step between Reborn and Bianchi. 
</p>
<p>Bianchi stopped short, her obsessive love lorn expression crumbling into a snear. "Oh, It's you." She said with disgust, propping a hand on her hip.
</p>
<p>"I thought I smelt something rotten." Skull spat, crossing his arm's over his chest. A heavy miasicmic aura starting to leak into the atmosphere with the smell of sea salt. "Desperation is a bad look on you, Falco." 
</p>
<p>Bianchi looked him over with disdain, wrinkling her nose delicately. "I'm not here for you, hell spawn. Your pressance around Reborn darling is nessasary." She said dismissively, flicking her hands at him in a shoing manner. "Go run off and stop bothering him with your deviant behavior, demon."
</p>
<p>Skull growled, deep and unnatural from somewhere in his chest. A cold line crawling up Tsuna's spine from just hearing it. His mentor seemed unaffected, if resigned. "You're the one who needs to back off you undead bitch. Reborn is the great Skull-samas' mortal, my partner." The demon said viciously, his human appearence flickering at the edges. 
</p>
<p>"You are getting in the way of love, you horrible demon!" The girl snapped back, eyes burning. Tsuna was kinda surprised she hadn't taken out any of her poison cooking, more surprised at Skull's instant distaste. 
</p>
<p>"He is too old for you and he. Is. <i>Mine</i>!" Skull growled, jabbing a finger at her to emphasize his statement. Tsuna could see the vivid purple glow of his eyes, and the blackening tips of his fingers. "He didn't even ask for you to come, just like last time you showed up." 
</p>
<p>Bianchi flinched back a little, whether from his words or from his crumbling human facade Tsuna couldn't tell. "Age doesn't matter in true love! I came to bring Reborn back to running jobs. His true calling!" She exclaimed, holding her hands to her chest. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna jerked when Reborn grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him back from the arguement? Fight? The two of them. Tsuna gagged, waving his hands at his mentor who luckily let him go. He looked up at the man, meeting his dark eyes for a moment. <i>"Don't get close to them, Dame-Tsuna. They're not goning to stop if the kill you on accident."</i>
</p>
<p>Skull's cackle drew Tsuna's unnerved attention away from his mentor back to the fight. "Don't talk like you know Reborn better than I do. The Great Skull has been with Reborn for decades." Skull said with a terrible smile on his face, a sadistic pleasure behind it. "Reborn has never been forced into anything. You try-" 
</p>
<p>The demon's mouth snapped shut, starling Tsuna and Bianchi. Skull looked at back at Reborn with a pout, crossing his arms. 
</p>
<p>"That's enough Lackey." Reborn said smoothly, grabbing Skull's lip chain. The demon followed the tugging, eyebrows drawn.
</p>
<p>"But Reborn..." Skull murmered, looking back at Bianchi. 
</p>
<p>"We have places to be Lackey." Reborn stated, tossing Skull into the wall outside Tsuna's house. If Tsuna hadn't figured out that Skull liked it when Reborn was rough with him, he would have been concerned. Apparently demons had a high pain tolerance and Skull's true form was black abyss goo with teeth and eyes. He tried not to think about it too much. 
</p>
<p>Bianchi looked triumphant for all of a minute before Reborn looked at her. "Reborn darling, Come ba-" She started, eyes sparkling.
</p>
<p>"Bianchi, you need to leave before the Hibari comes by. He won't let you off as easy if you attack Tsunayoshi again." Reborn interrupted lightly, gesturing at Tsuna. Tsuna could feel the charm burning a whole in his pocket, and remembered the prefects reaction to learning Bianchi tried to attack students at his school. 
</p>
<p>The vampiress apparently knew when she wasn't wanted, and smiled obseeovly at Reborn. "I will find you later Darling. Our love will draw me back no matter what stands in our way." She proclaimed, throwing one last acidic glare at Skull before flouncing off. 
</p>
<p>Skull peeled himself from the wall, wiping dark blood approximate from under his nose. "Good riddance." He muttered, "The great Skull is going to destroy that girl one day." 
</p>
<p>Tsuna watched Reborn grab the Demon by his hair, tugging him to his side. "No, you won't, She's useful." Reborn stated. 
</p>
<p>Head twisted to look at the Warlock, Skull pouts. "She is trying to take you away from me. You're mine." Skull whinned, grabbing Reborn's suit coat. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna started forwards, not wanting to see anymore. His curiosity was saited. Reborn and Bianchi? Just more manipulation, and a handful of his Mentor's prefered chaos on the side. 
</p>
<p>Skull and Reborn, Tsuna wanted to know less.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reborn and Skull, are they in a romantic relationship? Does Skull just hate Bianchi? Have I been wanting to write something like this for a while? Yes. I like shipping Skull and Reborn.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Day 31: Crawl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reborn stared down at his student, amusement bubbling under his exasperation. "A High witch should know better than to test spells on themselves, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn drawled. He smirked at the look his student shot him, settling on the other end of his students bed. 
</p>
<p>His student hissed, the small bundle of amber fur tangled with seven other ones. Reborn <i>could</i> have told Tsuna about the transference effect, especially with Vongola coven magic, but this was better. Tsunayoshi was lucky Reborn had bothered to send Skull to collect his gaurdians after the spell went into effect. 
</p>
<p>Hibari, a mostly black kit with a white belly, launched himself at a blue long haired Mukuro with a growl. The two tussled, claws finding purchase on both each other and Tsunayoshi's bed spread. 
</p>
<p>Sasagawa pounced on both of them, the white kitten startling the two apart. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna was stuck between a snoozing Yamamoto and Chrome, a silver long haired Gokudera attempting to pull Yamamoto away by the tail. Lambo was too small to for the others and before Tsuna had gotten taken down by sleepy gaurdians, had dropped the tiny kit on top of his pillow. 
</p>
<p>Tsuna meowed impatiently, his glare just as ineffective as a kitten. Not just because Reborn is more of a reptile and bug sort of man. 
</p>
<p>"The spell will wear off eventually, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn said lightly, tugging on Tsuna's ear. The kitten hissed, extracting a paw to swipe at him. He let go, grabbing Tsuna's paw instead. "Take this opportunity to bond with your gaurdians."
</p>
<p>The look on Tsuna's face told his exactly where he could shove that.</p>
  </div></div>
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